Crazy
by Ascaisil
Summary: You don't understand!" Chopper shouted with tears running through his fur. "Robin's lost her mind! She's literally been driven insane!"
1. Zoro figures himself out

**AN: **Finally getting the prologue out on this one too! My first ZoRo centered story, (that I'm willing to post anyway. xD) so Yay~!! Yes, I know the prologue is long but I guess it's kinda my style to get the basics out there before jumping into a story so...At least you will know what's going on, ne?

I am warning you that this is going to be _sad_. I always prefer a happy ending, and I'm going to have one for this story too. But the plot revolves around some pretty messed up stuff (i.e. torture, insanity, etc.) so I don't want you to read it if you think it'll break your head or something.

I do not own One Piece, or some of the ideas I will be using, (which I will point out when we get there.)

Oh, and also, I have no idea how old Zoro was when he went to Kuina's dojo. I have no idea how long he was there before they had their 2001st duel, or when she died, or when he left to look for Mihawk. The series is kinda vague on those points so I just put what I think. I'm not claiming to _know._

* * *

Zoro had been very young when he had set out to claim dojo signs, and after his first defeat by Kuina he had promised himself he would not leave until he had beaten her. Over a year later, after their 2001st duel and their promise to each other that some day one of them would be the world's best swordsman his rival had died in a pointless accident, leaving him to fulfill his vow alone. He had not left Kuina's dojo for nearly ten years after her father had bestowed her precious katana on him, and even after he had gone out to sea looking for Mihawk, his only goal had been to strengthen himself and one day become the best. Consequently, in the young swordsman's short life he had never wasted his time in the pursuit of girls. He was aware of women, but only in a general way, and had never felt much interest in any particular one. In fact, the only women he associated with on a regular basis were his own nakama, and he had certainly never harbored any thoughts for Nami.

So when was it exactly that he had developed feelings for Nico Robin?

She had joined the Strawhat crew, or rather, forced her way in, after weeks of being their enemy. Barely a week had gone by after they had defeated Baroque Works when she had appeared on their ship and insisted that Luffy had to take responsibility for her life. And his captain, being the easy going idiot he was, had agreed.

In less than a day she had most of the crew wrapped around her little fingers. Sanji easily accepted her for her beauty alone, Nami had been bought off, and Chopper, Usopp, and Luffy had fallen all over themselves when she used her devil fruit power in one of their stupid little games. She didn't try to manipulate him, maybe because she saw he wouldn't fall for it, or maybe because she felt she had time later to do so. Whatever her reason had been Robin had settled herself with no difficulty into life on the Going Merry, and Zoro had been left as the last sane person on his ship.

While the others could easily accept a former enemy into their life the swordsman had vowed to himself that he would not let her get the drop on him. She was a conniving and manipulative woman, who had switched sides easily, and could just as easily do it again in the future. So he watched her.

She was aware of it, and aware that he did not accept or trust her, and so she began to watch him too. Zoro told himself it was because she was looking for his weakness. Maybe in order to eliminate him, if she could, or perhaps she did it only to annoy him. It was impossible to tell what a woman like Nico Robin was thinking.

Regardless of her thoughts he watched her carefully. As a swordsman he knew how to observe his enemy, her routines, her habits, even her likes and dislikes…there was no telling when she would show a weakness, so he watched her closely.

He learned that Robin was a woman who enjoyed her solitude. She was with the crew but did not try to be a part of them. She did not help with the chores, or have any particular job on the ship, (what did a pirate crew need with an archeologist?) in fact most of her time was spent lounging around reading and drinking coffee. She did not sleep often, and when she did she slept very lightly, a habit of one who is used to betrayal he surmised. Robin was intelligent, but only shared her knowledge with them when she had something to gain from it. She was polite, but distant, and Zoro couldn't help but imagine this was because she did not plan to stay with them for long.

*

At Jaya, when she had left to "gather information" he had assumed she was making her break from them, which was fine with him, but had been surprised when she had returned, and doubly surprised when it turned out she had actually found what they needed.

Later, when they had been sent out to acquire a south bird, he had allowed himself to be paired with the archeologist, in order to keep an eye on her. She had made no trouble for him, and in the end it was she who caught the elusive bird that sent them on their way.

During their stay on Sky Island it had been a lucky break that he was on board the Going Merry when it was abducted, and then she had insisted on following him into the jungle, though he had to admit she was helpful at keeping Nami out of the way.

Their second day she had again ended up in the same party as him, on their way to the city of gold, but then the giant snake had attacked them and they were all separated.

Though the swordsman had felt some trepidation at not knowing where the treacherous woman was he knew that Merry and the rest of his nakama were already on their way to the other side of Upper Yard, and with no way for her to reach them he knew they were safe, from her at least, so he had continued on to the ruins of Shandia.

Perhaps it was at that point that he should have realized something was different. His feelings for the archeologist had up until that point been nothing but distrust and suspicion…but at the instant the fake god had attacked her, his body had moved. He had caught her falling body in the cradle of his arms and his furious words at the logia fruit user had been, "She's just a woman!"

When had she moved past the "suspicious person" category to being a woman in his mind? He certainly didn't trust her yet, but he would not have saved someone he truly considered an enemy. His own action had startled him, but since he was faced with a different enemy, Enel, at that point he had pushed it to the back of his mind for later thought…and then "later" had never come. He had never taken the time to think about the why of his actions again, and Zoro seriously considered this an oversight on his part now.

*

During the unusual events of the Davy Back Fight the swordsman had concentrated on winning with everything he had. It was a stupid game, one he wished his captain hadn't accepted so easily, (and then doubly wished he hadn't accepted the second time) but he wasn't the kind of man to lose anything on purpose. And they had taken Chopper…he had a responsibility to regain his nakama.

But somewhere, deep in the back of his mind, it had bothered the swordsman how easily Nico Robin had accepted leaving their crew. He had been so sure of that eventuality. So why was it then when it seemed she was gone for good and he wouldn't have to watch out for her anymore he was annoyed at her casual attitude? In the end Luffy had won, and both Robin and Chopper were returned to them.

It was shortly after that event though that Zoro began to realize his prejudice against her was no longer as firm on the inside as it was on the out. Meeting a Marine Admiral was not something they had expected so soon. The freakishly tall man was extremely lazy, but still an admiral, so all of the swordsman's attention had been focused on the threat. Robin's fearful intake of breath and then collapse to the ground had taken them all by surprise. She was a very confidant individual. She was cool, calm, and collected…none of them had seen such a look on her face before. Not worry, not fear, but absolute terror. This only made the threat before them more real. Someone who could scare Robin to such an extent…

When the enemy had attacked her Zoro was forced through an almost identical situation as Sky Island…his body moved without thought or permission, stopping the Ice Saber's downward stroke and saving her life. Before he could fully ponder his own startling action the blond cook had also attacked, saving him from embarrassing himself.

And then she, who had always remained calm and vaguely amused at everyone and everything, had attacked. Furiously she had struck out at the marine in front of her, with no effect. Aokiji had simply reformed and then from one moment to the next she was made into an ice statue.

This was another moment Zoro should have taken the time to think over later. The absolute horror he had felt seeing her encased in ice, a perfect replica of herself, should have given him a clue, but he hadn't thought about _why_ he was angry, just that he was.

Luffy had saved her from being smashed, and then Usopp had jumped in to rescue her again. Following their captain's command he and Chopper had raced back to the ship in an effort to save her life.

The entire event had been such an ordeal for them all, Robin and Luffy who needed to recover, Chopper who had almost lost them, Usopp and Nami who had been almost paralyzed with fear, even Sanji and himself, unable to accept their own failure of not even able to hit their enemy once…The only thing Zoro had forced himself to focus on was becoming stronger…he could never let a situation like that happen again.

*

All his unexplained actions, his strange thoughts, and the awkward moments between Robin and himself…all the signs that his feelings for the raven haired archeologist had changed drastically came to a head in the events at Enies Lobby.

He had been furious when she had framed them for the attempted assassination of Water 7's mayor, and had subtlety pushed his crew into looking for her to get some answers. But when Nami told them the situation…he had been at a loss.

Robin had given herself over to the government to keep them safe…and she had done it planning to never let them know the truth, planning to let them hate her.

The manipulative, distrustful, and even annoying woman he had professed to hate was going to die for them. Not just die for them even; Nami had told him the full story later on the train. She was giving herself to the government, knowing they would use her knowledge to unlock a weapon that could destroy whole nations. Robin chose the six of them over everyone and everything in the world, and Zoro's feelings had become a confusing mess inside him

The obvious choice, even if Luffy hadn't told them immediately, was to save her.

The swordsman had remained in a corner of the train's passenger car, feigning sleep but really trying to sort through the tangled mess that his thoughts had become.

Ever since she had joined them he had kept his assumptions of her firmly fixed in his mind.

Robin was only with them because it had been a convenient way of escaping Arabasta. She was planning on leaving, betraying, or somehow harming them. She was untrustworthy. She was useless. Annoying. Dangerous.

This completely selfless act had challenged his every perception of her.

It was against his will but the swordsman was forced to consider her in a new light. It was possible that she _had_ reformed while with them. She said Luffy had saved her life, and had to take responsibility for it. Was it possible she had followed the careless teen because he had given her hope?

In all the time Zoro had known his captain the younger man was always doing stupid things without thinking about the consequences. However…more often than not his seemingly random choices ended up making him and those around him stronger, more responsible, more capable…

Usopp, Nami, and Chopper…the three of them had been faced with situations they could not hope to overcome and Luffy had stepped in and saved them. Even Sanji and himself, to a lesser degree. And they had come to respect their captain for it.

So was it possible Luffy had done the same thing for her in that underground chamber? Yes, it was.

He had focused so much on what she had done in the _past_; he had refused to acknowledge the effect Luffy had on people. He had misjudged her, and he owed her an apology for it.

Even worse…Robin had always taken his mistrust calmly, never being offended by his attitude…and though he was loathed to admit it he owed her an apology for that too.

*

If they had saved her without any complications maybe his thoughts would have ended there. But as Sanji and Usopp discovered, Robin was so afraid of the threat that she would not listen to reason. Zoro didn't pretend to understand that fear. Terror left over from a childhood trauma was not something he was familiar with, and he knew it. There was no point in trying to analyze such an emotion when he didn't think he would be able to understand it anyway. Robin's stubborn refusal to fight when they came for her did not make sense to him…until she had admitted her true fear with tears in her eyes. The swordsman had visibly winced.

"Someday I will just be a burden to you and you will betray me too! If that is what's going to happen than I would rather die here and now!"

Okay, so a life on the run with people betraying her constantly…she could have developed that kind of phobia easily…but he was sure she was speaking to him at that moment. Someday _he_ would feel she was too large a threat to him and his crew…none of the others had ever said anything of the sort to her, while he had not made an issue of letting her know exactly how little he wanted her there…how could she not be speaking to him?

After burning the flag and openly declaring war on the World Government Luffy had shouted, "I would be happy to have an enemy like that Robin!!" And while his captain had still done a stupid thing without thinking this time Zoro had to agree.

He finally allowed himself to let go of his resentment towards her and accept her as a part of their crew.

*

The cataclysmic events of Enies Lobby had drastically changed the raven haired beauty.

She laughed more. She smiled more. If nothing else the archeologist's heart felt plea of wanting to live appeared completely genuine. If this was her second chance at life she seemed to be living it to the fullest.

Though she still enjoyed her solitude she no longer held herself aloft from them, as evidenced in the simple change of how she addressed them. Except him.

Zoro had, after working himself up, attempted to apologize but Robin had simply smiled at him, a real smile instead of the fake, polite smile she used to use. She didn't allow him to say anything, but the look on her face told him he didn't have to…she had already forgiven him. Getting "off the hook" about apologizing Zoro found himself instead berating her for even considering such a stupid thing as self sacrifice. His exact words had been, "Do you really think anyone on this crew would accept a nakama dying for them?!" but Robin had taken his embarrassed chastisement silently, with another strange smile on her face.

Then, to his utmost embarrassment, she had laid one slim hand on his shoulder, leaned in, and kissed him on the cheek before leaving him to stare after her on the deck. Though she still refused to use his given name she was much more at easy with him and he finally came to the conclusion that it was just one of her strange quirks.

*

They had left Water 7 only weeks ago, and already they had fought another shichibuki, as well as zombies made from their own shadows, and gained another new nakama. The events on Thriller Bark, or rather the events after, had finally forced the swordsman to face the truth of his very different feelings. The two events in particular that had opened his eyes had been hearing Chopper's account of the fight against Hogback and one small discussion he had with the object of his affections.

Chopper was explaining to the crew, but most especially Nami and Usopp, the grisly tale of how the zombie maker had died, with Robin adding details as she saw fit. Zoro had been resting in the shade against Thousand Sunny's mast, listening with only one ear, but both eyes flew open when Robin cheerfully said, "I guess we know who would win in a fight between Kenshin-san and I now."

Pretending to be disinterested he looked over at the small group on the deck. Luckily he did not have to ask what she meant, because _unluckily_ Sanji had already done so. The blond gave her a surprised look when she admitted to having fought both their zombies.

Chopper, attempting to make the story more interesting, began describing the close calls their nakama had suffered before tricking Hogback into sending the zombies away, while the archeologist waved her hands in mild protest.

"Really, it wasn't that close Chopper-kun! If I had gotten that close I would have been cut in half several times!!" She laughed it off with a smile.

"Are you saying that marimo's zombie almost hurt you Robin-chwan?!" The cook demanded angrily. "Nearly killed her!" Chopper jumped back in. "Lots and lots of times!!" To which Sanji began sputtering incoherently.

Zoro however had stopped moving, his right hand clenched around all three katana, staring down at his shadow on the deck. He was not responsible for what his zombie had done; he had no way of controlling the damn thing, but…Robin had almost been killed…because of it…because of him?

Because he had been looking down at his guilty shadow he did not see Sanji raise his foot. There was a moment of stunned silence…even the cook was staring at him in surprised confusion. It was the first time in their frequent fights he had not defended himself.

As he stood slowly Chopper attempted to defuse the situation by adding in a hurried voice, "Your zombie attacked her too!!" This did not really help.

Sanji fell to his knees at Robin's feet. "I'm so sorry Robin-chwan!!" The blond wailed, to which she waved her hands at them again looking awkward. "It's perfectly fine. No one is responsible for what their zombie did. And Chopper-kun really was exaggerating!!"

The cook held onto her legs, still apologizing profusely.

Ultimately it was Luffy who defused the situation. Their captain laughed loudly. "It's a good thing we're not responsible for our zombies or I'd be in big trouble!!" And then he laughed again, soon joined by Usopp, Franky, and Brook. Nami and Robin gave each other a look and then laughed as well, and the subject was dropped.

*

His discussion with Robin had been short but very to the point. He had been working out in the privacy of the crow's nest, safe from Chopper's disapproving glare, when she had entered smiling.

"I'm looking for a quiet place to read." She said as she pulled her long legs inside the trap door. "Do you mind Kenshin-san?"

He had shrugged and turned back to the steel bar and heavy weights he had been swinging around. They had remained peaceful for several moments before her soft voice interrupted again.

"Actually…" She started slowly. "I did have an ulterior motive for coming up here."

Stopping what he was doing again he looked at her with surprise. She was looking down at her legs which were tucked against her body with a very serious look on her face.

With a nod he carefully placed his weights down, being aware of their balance so he wouldn't break anything, and then grabbed his work out towel. Sighing heavily the green haired man had sat across from her and motioned that he was listening.

"Kenshin-san…" She said softly. "Do you remember what you said to me just after we set sail from Water 7?" Her voice was so quiet even he couldn't tell what she was feeling by it.

Zoro had been reaching for a bottle of water but he stopped and looked back at her, this time with a blank face. "Which thing did I say?" He asked her cautiously.

Robin finally turned from contemplating the ground to looking in his eyes, and the swordsman felt a shiver go through him. She was angry…and not just a little, but very _very_ angry.

Confused, and thinking he might have offended her, he tried to backtrack. "I mean which time...?" She did not waver as she glared into his eyes. "Uh…Which conversation are you referring too?" He asked with hands raised in a gesture of peace. He couldn't recall anything he had done that would make her so angry at him…

"You're exact words were, "Do you really think anyone on this crew would accept a nakama dying for them?!" She leaned towards him, her mouth drawn in a hard line. "Do you recall that conversation Zoro?"

The swordsman looked around for a distraction awkwardly. Not only had she brought up something he didn't want to talk about she had used his real name…and if she was only going to use it when she was angry he preferred not hearing it.

"Yeah. I remember that conversation. What abou-"

She didn't let him finish as she slammed her hand down on the ground in between them. "Did you even believe yourself when you told me that?!"

And then it finally hit him. He looked down uncomfortably. "You were awake?" He asked quietly. That was the only thing that made sense…

"No. Brook was and I pried it out of him."

He was surprised by her frank admission, though he realized he probably shouldn't be. Robin could be very subtle, which was probably how she had gotten the information she wanted out of the musician, but she could also be very forward and blunt if she chose.

"I see…Yes, I still believe that. No one would accept someone dying for them easily on this crew."

He had resolved to not look at her again but the soft sound she made had his head moving before he thought about it, and he felt a shock go through him. Robin was crying! He had seen her cry exactly once, at Enies Lobby, and that had been a very emotional moment for her.

"Robi-"

"_Hypocrite!"_ She cried as tears escaped her eyes to slide down her smooth cheeks. She would have said more be Zoro found himself putting one hand up, silently asking her to give him a chance to explain, so instead she bit her lip as she wiped at her eyes.

"No one would accept it, but I did what I had to do. Kuma would have killed Luffy while we were all unconscious…do you think I could allow that when I had the power to stop it? Dying needlessly is one thing, but without the captain a crew is nothing…a crew who loses their captain probably wouldn't even stay together, and I can't accept that either. Under the circumstances there was no other choice."

The dark haired woman across from him took a deep breath as she wiped a few more tears off her cheeks. "Bartholomew Kuma has been known as the Tyrant, with no mercy. That he was willing to accept your life instead of Luffy's means he either has a specific reason for keeping Luffy alive or he was doing it to defy the government. Do not think for one moment he did it because he had compassion for what _you_ wanted." She said firmly. "Luffy would die for any of us. I know that." The unspoken "now" was clear but she hurried on. "And as the captain he has the right to do that, IF," She stressed. "_IF_ it ever came to that I would not be able to complain." She reached up and tucked one shining black strand behind her ear. "But you are far too reckless. Imagine how we would feel waking up with you dead and us all alive!"

Both pirates looked at each other and then away again.

"I understand the situation was desperate," She continued softly. "But did you even stop to think about how…" She paused for a second and then finished. "How _we_ would feel?"

Zoro folded his arms across his chest.

No. He hadn't really stopped to think about how they would feel afterwards. He had only thought about how he would feel if he let his captain die. The situation had been what it was, and if he was put into that situation again he would probably do the same thing, but Robin was right. He had acted, even if it was the action he had to take, without thinking about those that would be left behind.

Robin shifted and he could tell she was getting up to leave. He didn't know what to say to her so he didn't say anything as she slipped past him and opened the trap door.

"Just…"

He met her eyes again. She was looking at him with a soft, pleading look on her face.

"Just promise me that you'll stop being so reckless?" She asked softly. "Please?"

Her inky hair fell back across her cheek as she bit her lip again, staring at him and waiting for an answer.

What answer could he give? If the same thing happened he would still sacrifice himself to save them but…all she was asking was that he think a little first, and he supposed he could do that.

"I promise." He said solemnly.

She looked down and he heard her exhale with obvious relief, and then she looked up at him again. She smiled in gratitude and something about the expression on her face made his heart jump erratically in his chest. "Thank you Zoro." She said simply. It was the second time she had said his name and it sounded much nicer this time around. Thankfully she allowed herself to slip back down the ladder to the deck below before he made a complete fool of himself.

*

And that was how he had come to find himself alone in the crow's nest, thinking so seriously, and pondering his feelings for the beautiful woman.

Robin had changed from enemy to nakama, to something else that he wasn't sure he was comfortable with. Even more uncomfortable was that he wasn't sure what exactly she _was_ to him…but more than just his nakama…

Zoro looked out the window of the crow's nest into the distance.

And even if his feelings for the raven haired beauty had changed, what did that mean? It wasn't like he was going to profess undying love to her or anything ridiculous like that…thinking about it logically, there wasn't even any need for her, or anyone else, to know how deeply he felt about it.

And, he sighed, it was deep.

Sitting here in the silence and pondering all that had happened he had to face the fact that his feelings for Robin were strong. Very strong. Probably way _too_ strong…

The swordsman had never experienced feelings like this before. He had been focused on his life's goals so much, and for so long, that he had never allowed himself to let such a distraction in.

He hadn't meant to let her get to him either, it was just…Robin was sneaky. She had wormed her way in before he knew it. And, he admit, he had not helped. He was sure it had started with the watching…

Argh!! It led back to that again! He had to watch her for the safety of the crew, and now he watched for her safety, and…there was no point going through that in his mind again, he decided.

The main issue was not his feelings for Robin. They were already there, and as long as they didn't cause him too much trouble, than it wasn't worth wrestling with himself to try and root them out. So…if he just ignored them, and didn't let anyone know, there was no real problem, right?

The swordsman nodded to himself.

No problem.

*

The other thing he had to consider though was the conversation that had happened that afternoon.

Okay, so he had been hypocritical, even though it was unavoidable. He gave her that point. And if such a thing happened again he would, as he had promised, stop to think about his crew, even though that probably wouldn't sway his decision.

What bothered him about the conversation was not Robin's words, but her actions…

The archeologist was a person who felt deeply, even if it was rarely shown on the outside, not very different from himself actually…But she had come up here to confront him on his choice to give up his life for his captain's…and she had cried. Such a reaction could only happen if her feelings had been so strong she couldn't help it…but exactly what had she been feeling?

Was she so angry she had to cry? That seemed very unlikely. Fear? Sadness? Worry?

The swordsman found himself scrubbing one hand across his face in frustration. He had no clue. Maybe it was glaringly obvious but he didn't have any idea why Robin would have broken down like that.

He was getting nowhere like this, he decided. Whether he understood Robin's motives or not, he wasn't going to figure anything out by sitting here.

The swordsman finally stood again, wincing as his wounds were stretched, and pulled open the trap door that would lead him back to the deck.

* * *

**AN: **I love these two. There's not much more that can be said about it. I love them and they are awesome. Please review and let me know what you think!! (_Please?_ It's my birthday so pretty please?)


	2. Robin meets up with her past

**AN:**Thanks to everyone who reviewed! ^-^ I'm glad you know you guys like it so far. I will warn again though that there's some dark stuff (I'll try not to get _to_ specific) ahead, I just don't want anyone coming after me when they realize what's going to happen. xD

I do not own One Piece, (though I wish I did!) so please don't attempt to sue me. I haven't got anything anyway. :P

* * *

Brook looked up at the darkening sky. "Miss Robin, Chopper-san…It's starting to become late."

The archeologist and doctor turned back to look at him, surprised. The two had been standing outside a used book store trying to decide whether to go in or not. Robin looked up as well. "It appears so." She murmured softly.

Smiling she turned back to her nakama. "We can always come back tomorrow, ne? Let's go back for tonight."

Chopper gave one last look of longing at the book store before trotting away, followed by the two dark haired pirates. Their crew had landed on the small island earlier that day and it had been decided, by Nami, that Sanji and Usopp would look for food, Franky would guard, while she, Zoro, and Luffy would take a look around. Robin, Chopper, and Brook were free to do as they liked, since _they_ hadn't made her angry that day, and so the three had decided to do some exploring of their own.

They had come a bit further than the archeologist had realized though. The town they had docked in wasn't hugely populated, but it was situated in a long valley and consequently was several miles from end to end. In their unplanned exploration they had gone at least three quarters through the valley and now the sea, and their ship, was far off.

Silently chastising herself for not paying attention Robin led her companions onward, listening to the oldest and youngest members of their crew chat cheerfully about inconsequential things.

It was a little less than half an hour later when they ran into trouble. By this time the sun was just about to set and the bars were beginning to fill up with the citizens of the town. As one particular tavern filled with its regulars a certain pirate captain and part of his crew left it, not wanting to deal with the crowds.

These two separate groups met at a cross roads, and while the Strawhat's would have continued on without a problem the drunken shouting from the other group made them pause. Or rather, it made Robin pause, since they were yelling specifically at _her_.

"You!!" The captain shouted, pointing one finger at the startled archeologist. "You goddamn bitch!!!"

Chopper and Brook, also stunned, stared at the approaching quartet. "Robin? Do you…know those guys?" Chopper's voice was quiet and a little panicked as he looked up at her. Uncertainly she shook her head. "Not…that I know of." The short man in the lead looked _vaguely_ familiar but…

"I thought you died years ago!! You would deserve it you filthy demon!!"

By now the drunken pirates were much closer. Chopper shifted into his more human form and Brook's hand was on the handle of his sword, looking for all the world like he was only clutching his cane.

The dark haired woman's eyes narrowed and she held out her hand in a stopping motion. "Just a moment please…" She said quietly. Not looking very happy about it the two males with her paused to let her speak.

"Do I know you?" She said in a cool voice.

The leader of the other pirates began cursing at her violently but they didn't move any closer. "You fucking bitch!! Yes, you damn well know me!!!"

Robin raised one thin eyebrow, not allowing any anger to show on her face as the drunk continued yelling at her. "Captain…Captain…" The pirate began sobbing and the second man, she assumed it was the first mate, took up where he had left off. "Our former captain…Sir Janno Tilberg, you remember _him_ don't you?"

The pirates glared at her hatefully but she only nodded slowly. "I remember now…" She murmured to her nakama. Raising her voice the archeologist spoke to the drunkards. "I thought you had all been caught and killed."

The short captain's only reply was a sob followed by more cursing.

"Who are they Robin?" Chopper hadn't moved from his spot, just as she had asked of him, but he was watching the others carefully, ready just in case they started a fight.

"About twelve years ago I was on Captain Tilberg's ship…" The dark haired historian crossed her arms across her chest, her eyes not leaving the group of men before her. "We were attacked by marines and I had assumed they were all taken to jail or executed."

Hearing her casual dismissal of, what they perceived, the problem she had created the pirates began muttering angrily amongst themselves. "Don't act innocent you bitch!!" The drunken captain raised his head to shout at her again. "It was your fault we were attacked to begin with!! And then you ran away-"

She cut him off, her voice cool again. "As pirates you always run the risk of being attacked…and obviously running was the right choice. You would have handed me over to save your own skins." Robin deliberately turned her back on them to look at her nakama. "Shall we continue? The others will start to worry about us soon."

Captain Frendin, (Captain Tilberg's former first mate) continued to scream at her but she paid it no mind. Brook looked back and forth between the drunken pirates and the beautiful woman. "Are you sure Miss Robin?" He said quietly. "Won't they…try something…?"

She started walking again and her companion's had no choice but to follow, continuing to throw wary looks at the group of pirates they were leaving behind.

"It will be fine Brook-san…" She smiled at them reassuringly. "They're cowards." The two males with her nodded, but neither seemed convinced. After several moments though, with no sign of pursuit, the doctor and musician began relaxing.

Robin continued to walk down the dirty street, following it back to their ship, and though the others kept pace with her they would occasionally look at each other helplessly. The encounter had obviously ruined the archeologist's mood and neither knew what to say to her.

It was an unspoken rule on the ship that they not ask about her past, knowing it was painful for her…This was the first time, that Brook had witnessed at least, a piece of that past had come back to haunt her.

So the three continued on in an uncomfortable silence until, barely a block away from the harbor she spoke again.

"Let's not mention that encounter to the others."

"Eh?" Both males looked at her but she only smiled at them…using the fake smile she hadn't bothered with in so long. "Nothing happened and I wouldn't want our captain to go out and start a fight."

Brook nodded hesitantly and she turned her attention to the little doctor. "Chopper-kun?" She said softly. "Let's not cause trouble if we can avoid it."

Sighing he nodded as well…though he still didn't agree. Robin's reasoning was sound, of course, but he didn't like the idea of leaving someone who hated her out there without even…Well, he didn't know. It wasn't like he wanted them to die or anything. But he just couldn't shake the feeling that it was unwise to turn their backs on an enemy.

"Brook-san?"

The skeleton looked down at her as she smiled up at him. "It's become a little gloomy around here…would you mind playing a song for us?"

He agreed enthusiastically. Whenever he was down singing was just the thing and it made him ecstatic that the quiet woman had suggested it, unaware that she had done so solely to cheer _them_ up.

Pulling out his beloved violin the musician began playing as they walked and by the time they had returned to the ship the soft music had relaxed them all.

Pushing the unpleasant memories away Robin followed her nakama onto the deck, to be met by a cheerful Luffy, Usopp, and Franky.

"Au!!" The blue haired man posed as he looked at them. "Did you guys have a _Super_ time~?"

The doctor and musician shared another look but she nodded without hesitation. "Maybe tomorrow Nami-chan will let you go out too." She smiled as the cyborg groaned. "I didn't do anything…" While he pouted on the ground the two teenage boys had grabbed up Chopper and had begun to dance. "We're getting a special meal tonight~!!" Usopp sang. "Sanji and I found some great stuff!!"

The small reindeer, completely forgetting the other pirates he had met began cheering with the sniper and captain. "Yahoo~!!!"

Smiling genuinely now the archeologist shook her head at them and excused herself to go to her room…She would have time later to think about what had happened…

* * *

**AN:** I'm going to try and keep the chapters small to moderately sized in this story (ignoring the freaking _huge_ prologue. :P) and I'm going to try to keep it from being _to_ long. I can't even begin to guess how long it will end up, but I can guarantee it will _not_ be 50 chapters. xD (49 maybe but...Eek! I'm kidding, I'm kidding!!!) Please review and let me know if you think I'm keeping them in character. I've never tried to write Brook before, and Luffy and Zoro are especially hard for me. x_x

Oh, and thanks for wishing me a happy birthday!! I'm an old lady now. :P


	3. The plot thickens

**AN:** I decided to get this one up because "the plot thickens" as my sister says, and I want you all to be plenty curious before I post again. :P Actually I've been breezing through writing the chapters, which is weird for me, so I don't feel bad about getting another chapter up quickly. I just don't like having _all_ my written chapters up...makes me feel pressured and then my writing gets crappy. :(

(Okay...I _meant_ to update this yesterday...and then I just realized that I forgot to. xD Sorry about that!!!)

I do not own One Piece or it's characters.

* * *

The dinner was it's usual boisterous affair, and by the end of the night all depression had been erased from the archeologist's features. The only person who's mood did not lift was Zoro, and he was so quiet usually it was hard to tell anyway.

The green haired man had been feeling fine, even though he had just spent half the day dragged around with Luffy by their navigator, until he had caught sight of Robin's face when she returned. His mood had immediately plummeted.

It didn't matter if she was trying to hide it…something was bothering her. And judging by the look Chopper and Brook had shared it was something that had happened in the small town. Within a few moments she was smiling for real but that didn't change the fact that _something_ had happened…and he was sure she would not be willing to discuss, it even if he managed to bring it up.

The musician and doctor didn't mention anything about it either…Zoro assumed she had asked them not too…and it annoyed him. He wanted to _know_…

The swordsman had retreated to the upper deck to stare out at the ocean moodily as soon as he had finished eating. Ever since he had admitted his feelings for the dark haired woman to himself things had become harder and more complicated. He had made the decision not to let her know, and he would stick with that, but it somehow was suddenly impossible not to notice things like how much Sanji flirted with her…Or how she would often tease Franky and Usopp when their inventions went haywire…Or even how she would quietly encourage Brook…

He clenched his teeth in annoyance.

This…he assumed…was what jealousy felt like. And if it was he _really_ didn't like it. Robin didn't belong to him. She was always friendly with everyone, and even if that _wasn't_ the case he had no right to interfere…Once again he was forced to run those thoughts through his head, in what had become a semi-regular occurrence. And again he wished that he hadn't ever sat down to think about his feelings for her…In this case, ignorance truly was bliss…

Grumpily the swordsman had taken his guard duty that night without complaint, spending a good deal of that time wondering what had been bothering her, and when morning came he ate his breakfast quietly and then slipped away off the ship before Nami could complain.

There was little chance he would be able to find out what had happened the night before, but they would be there at least one more day, so he had time to try and find out…And if anyone asked he could just say he had been looking around.

**

* * *

Nami had become extremely annoyed when she realized Zoro had managed to slip away unnoticed, and she promised herself that he would regret it later…but for the time being there was other things to do.

Chopper had begged her for the opportunity to join her on her shopping expedition, not for her, but because she knew he wanted to buy more books. Usopp and Brook accompanied her, as slaves though they didn't know it yet, and she had reluctantly agreed to bring Luffy along as well…_Someone_ had to keep an eye out for the idiot.

Sanji, in spite of his protests that he'd _die_ if he didn't spend time with her today, was sent out shopping for food again, this time with Franky, and she had given them strict orders not to return to the ship until they had enough to feed Luffy plus the rest of the crew for a week.

The navigator apologized to Robin for leaving her with guard duty but the dark haired woman had merely smiled. "I don't mind at all, Nami-chan." She had said. "It's nice to be useful once in a while." The two had shared a private smile, and she had dragged her little entourage away, confident that the archeologist didn't resent being left behind.

* * *

Sanji had protested vehemently when she volunteered to wash the breakfast dishes, but eventually she had calmed him down, smiling sweetly and explaining that she liked the feeling of doing "homey" chores.

So, being dragged away by Franky, the cook had shouted promises of his swift return and the beautiful woman had been left completely alone.

Smiling to herself she returned to the kitchen to begin the enormous task of cleaning up after her captain.

Like Brook there were still times she felt out of place, because she had no set job to do, and it was nice when the others would allow her to help. Though she had been with them for months she had never taken part in doing the chores before…mostly because she didn't want to develop that "homey" feeling and then be forced to abandon it again. Chores might be annoying for some people but for Robin they were part of being a family and she deeply cherished that.

She had completed most of them…only a few tough pots and pans were waiting for her attention…when she was attacked. A man, much bigger than herself, grabbed her from behind, one hand holding a damp cloth to her face.

Jerking instinctively the archeologist had kicked her attacker in-between the legs and when his arm loosened she had rammed her elbow into his gut, more of her arms appearing around his arms, legs, and neck.

Before she could snap him in half there was a sharp pain in her back and the dark haired woman realized the big man was not her only attacker. Gasping in pain…It felt like someone had stabbed her, not too deeply, but any stab wound was painful…and feeling incredibly dizzy Robin had turned to subdue the next person and instead got a fistful of pinkish colored powder into her face.

Shaking her head as her eyes welled up with tears she felt herself slipping in water that had splashed out of the sink, landing painfully on her back. Coughing now as well she tried to rub the powder out of her eyes and identify her attacker's position at the same time.

Without realizing it her "flowers" had disappeared and the giant man who had first grabbed her did so again, holding the sickeningly sweet smelling cloth to her face as she struggled weakly.

'_Chloroform…'_ Her mind identified as her body froze up…_'Regolith…' _Something to knock her out and something to paralyze her body…

Those were the last coherent thoughts she had before the drugs did their job and she fell unconscious.

**

* * *

To the blond cook's delight he and Franky ran into Nami's group an hour before lunch time. After professing his undying love he had cheerfully told her of a restaurant he wanted to try before leaving and the navigator had agreed that her group would accompany him. Before that though she ordered them to return to the ship, store the food they had already acquired, and fetch Robin (she really _did_ feel bad about leaving her alone…) and then they would all meet up again at the small restaurant for lunch. Except Zoro who, in her opinion, didn't deserve lunch since he had ditched them right after breakfast.

Chopper, who was extremely happy with his own purchases, had asked to join them so he could safely store his precious new books…Besides, he wanted to show them to Robin, and was sure she would be pleased. So the cook, the doctor, and the shipwright had turned themselves back towards the ocean to do as Nami said.

The three pirates had been quick about returning to the ship and as they hauled their huge quantity of food stuffs on board they called for their nakama. Strangely Robin didn't answer, and after getting everything onto the well manicured deck the blond had gone to the kitchen to find her. Even more puzzling…Most of the dishes had been washed and put away but there were a few pots and pans left undone, the sink still filled with water that had lost it's bubbles ages ago.

"Robin-chwan?" There was no answer and he began to worry. She wasn't the sort of person to leave things undone. When she took up a task she liked to finish it…

Sanji returned to the deck, trying not to let his worry show, but needing to ask…"Have either of you seen Robin-chwan?" He lit a cigarette so he wouldn't have to look them in the eye and give himself away.

"Huh?" Franky stopped handing the bulging bags of food down to Chopper. "She's not here?" A second later the tiny doctor's furry head poked out of the door. He didn't have to say anything for the cook to see the worry on his face.

He waved away that concern, although it didn't dismiss his own. "She's around somewhere; she just isn't in the kitchen. I'll try her room." Feeling the knot of anxiousness growing he walked towards the archeologist's room.

Above deck Chopper was looking after Sanji, his own worry starting to rise. He didn't like this…He didn't like this at all. Ignoring the shipwright the small reindeer crossed the deck and jumped up to the second level and into the kitchen.

Immediately he stopped…unfamiliar scents assaulted his nose. He shifted into his four legged form and began sniffing the air carefully…There was Robin's smell, mixed with coffee, and the soap she had used to wash the dishes…And then there was the smell of three other humans…strangers had been in here.

About to turn and run back to Sanji the reindeer froze…It was the faintest trace but…Instead of leaving the kitchen he went in completely, sniffing again to be sure he hadn't made a mistake…

Around the island in the kitchen…there was the sink where she had stood…He breathed deeply, letting the air fill his lungs while his mind absorbed and processed the information.

"….Chloroform…"

Feeling shaky he took in another deep breath.

"…Regolith…"

Vaguely he heard Sanji and Franky call to him from the deck but he took in another deep breath, feeling a definite edge of panic. …Blood…!! Robin's blood!! His eyes snapped open and he whimpered. "Oh no…!"

Hearing his nakama call to him again the doctor forced his legs to unfreeze and he leapt over the kitchen counter, running to get back into the sunshine.

"Guys…!!! Guys…!!"

He stopped on the second level next to the rail, his panic growing beyond his control. "Robin's been kidnapped…!!"

The shipwright and cook gave each other a quick look before bolting to the stairs to reach the kitchen…Unaware of the green haired swordsman who had just returned and was looking up at Chopper with an expression of ice.

"…_What_…?!"

* * *

**AN:** Just so we're all clear..._Regolith, _is not really a drug that produces paralysis. I tried finding one online but my search ended up with nothing useful. So I'm letting you know, those of you who were thinking, "Isn't that like...moon dust or something?" that _yes_, it is something like moon dust, I don't remember exactly. xD

Please leave me a review and tell me what you think! I like getting input, it helps me to not suck so bad. :P Thank you! ^-^


	4. Where the hell am I?

**AN:** Sorry I was kinda off and about the last few days. First I had a dentist appointment, then I had to finish my last week of school, then start my _new_ week of school, and to top it off I'm feeling kinda ill. x_x But anyways...I'm going to try to get back into the groove of writing but I doubt it'll happen tomorrow 'cause it's my hubby's day off...Which means we'll be goofing off the whole day. :P

I do not own One Piece

* * *

Shaking in a state of horrified terror the reindeer looked down at his nakama. "S-She's…"

"I heard you!" The swordsman snapped. "What the hell do you _mean_ though?!"

Overwhelmed, Chopper began to cry. "Somebody took her! There's chloroform and regolith and blood..!!"

Zoro jumped up and vaulted over the railing. "Blood…?!" Leaving the zoan fruit user there for the moment he also ran inside. Franky was looking down at the floor and he realized Sanji was kneeling on the ground next to him.

"They tried to cover it up but there was definitely blood here…"

How the hell could they sound so calm…?! He would have stepped forward but Chopper had ran after him and jumped on his left leg. "Z-Z-Zoro!!!" The young pirate wailed. "I'll bet it was them…! They were so angry…!!"

The swordsman took a deep breath as he grabbed his nakama and held him up to eye level. "Who Chopper?! Who did you meet yesterday and why were they angry?!"

The cook and mechanic were looking at him now but he couldn't concentrate on them…He needed to know what had happened, and he needed to know now!!

Trying to calm his sobs in vain the doctor couldn't answer. The swordsman felt his arms tensing in fury as he held up the little reindeer. Robin could be in major trouble and the only one who knew where she might be was having a breakdown. He wanted to shake him.

Sanji was beside him now…When had he moved? …and he snatched Chopper away from the crazed pirate. "Shut the hell up Marimo!! You're scaring him!!"

Before he could answer the blond held Chopper up to his own eyes. "Chopper, we need to know. Do you know who took Robin-chwan?" Sniffling he nodded his head vigorously.

Zoro reached forward to grab him again but Franky's arm blocked him. The cyborg was giving him a "You're crazy!" look and he clenched his teeth, forcing himself to calm down…Rushing out in a blind anger wasn't going to help her…

"B-Brook was there too…There were some a-angry pirates…!!" The child hiccuped as he tried to control his tears. "She said to just ignore them…!!"

Sanji looked around quickly, seeming to make a decision.

"The others are all waiting for us; we'll decide what to do when we get there." He ignored Zoro as he let out a few choice oaths. Still holding the little pirate the blond began running, followed closely by his nakama. The three men jumped over The Sunny's rail and sprinted away.

* * *

An uneasy feeling had begun stirring in Usopp's gut. For some reason it felt like something really bad had just happened. Though he'd like to pass it off as paranoia something told him that he just couldn't…

He was the first to see his nakama approach, and the uneasy jumped up to real worry. Sanji was holding a sobbing Chopper, Franky was running next to them, shooting unreadable looks at Zoro who…Usopp gulped suddenly. Zoro was ready to kill…he didn't know who but _someone_ was going to get it from the swordsman, and it wouldn't be pretty.

As soon as they were within ear shot he shouted to them. "What happened?" which drew the others attention to the men charging towards them. The three humans only looked grimmer but the small reindeer looked towards then and sobbed, "Someone has taken Robin…!!"

All time seemed to slow down for a few seconds as the sniper took in the information. And then, like someone had thrown a switch, time began moving too quickly.

The others had reached them, Nami was demanding answers, Brook was shaking, and Luffy…

Their captain stood up looking them in the eye seriously, and they all went silent. "Tell me what happened." His voice was perfectly serious…the way it got when someone hurt people he cared about.

Chopper was still trying to quiet his sobs but Sanji had turned to Brook. "What happened yesterday?" The blond snapped.

The skeleton shivered, almost like he was waking up and looked at the angry faces around him. "We were on our way back…" His voice was soaked in his own worry. "Some pirates had come out and started shouting at her, and she said they were men she had sailed with before, but when they had been attacked by the marines she ran away."

The smallest member of their crew had finally mastered his sobs. "She told us to leave them alone and not say anything because she didn't want trouble…She said they were too cowardly to do anything…!"

Half of them jumped in unpleasant surprise when Zoro slammed his fist against the table, literally shattering the object, which he didn't seem to notice. "Why…?! You…!!" The swordsman was choking on his words.

Luffy's face hadn't changed though. "Show us where you met them." He said to the skeleton.

Nodding he immediately began leading them up the street and away from the mess their nakama had just made.

* * *

Robin's body shook as she woke up slowly. An after effect of the regolith she assumed. The archeologist tried to move but it was difficult…she was exhausted.

It didn't take her long to figure out why. Around both ankles, wrists, and her neck were thin, but completely unbreakable, keroseki shackles. Unlike the handcuff's she had been forced to wear before these looked almost like delicate pieces of jewelry…except that they were draining her completely…

The second thing she took note of as she tried to move her dragging limbs, was that she was in a white hallway, someone had propped her unconscious body against the wall and left her there. The hallways seemed to stretch forever, with no ceiling over them, and Robin put her mind to the task of figuring out where the hell she was and what she was going to do.

She didn't have long to ponder it because almost immediately the sound of tiny engines whining reached her ears. A moment later the source of the noise had reached her. Two men, wearing some form of backpack that was keeping them in the air, were floating above her head.

Without speaking the two men nodded to each other, landing in front of her, and began checking her vital signs. Robin tried to pull away as one man shinned a light in her eye but he held her chin firmly and did what he wanted…Her body was too weak to resist.

"The effects of the drugs seem to be wearing off sir."

The first man had tilted his head towards his collar to speak and faintly another voice came back to him. "Bring her in then…He wants to see her."

Without caring if she was conscious or not the second man put her over his shoulder and with twin _'Pop!'_ sounds the backpacks they were wearing, which had engines inside, roared to life and they were airborne.

Unable to resist…unable to move at all really the archeologist instead studied the world around her.

It was some kind of cave…an enormous cave that could have easily held two full grown giants. The white walls…Robin blinked, her mind trying to take in what her eyes were telling her. The white walls were part of a maze. She couldn't see the end from where she was, so she assumed it reached to the far wall.

'_What…is this…?'_

Her brain was still fighting the effects of the drugs. Her captor had said they were wearing off, so she had to assume she hadn't been unconscious for too long.

The two men landed on an outstretched platform, forty feet in the air, and carried her inside the small tower room adjacent to it. There were three more people in here, all male, who were…watching monitors.

From her prone position against his back the archeologist couldn't count how many but it seemed the whole wall was covered by monitors that looked into nothing but white…Den den mushi hidden in the maze.

Her view of the room cut off abruptly as there was a rumble and she realized belatedly that the small platform they had stepped onto was moving upwards, very much like a mining shaft.

One minute…maybe two passed before the makeshift elevator stopped and the dark haired woman looked around enough to realize they were in a beautifully decorated hallway. It could have been taken from any manor home and Robin made note that the boss of this place seemed to like living in comfort.

Her captors stopped and she heard them knock on the door before opening it and stepping inside. Again the room was lavishly furnished, but that was all she noticed before she was pulled off of his shoulder and set into a chair in front of a large, ornate desk.

On the opposite side there was a grossly fat man, who looked more like a pig than a human; squinting at her while he drank wine from a fluted glass.

"Nico Robin?" Even his voice reminded her of a pig, but if he was the boss she didn't have a lot of time to extract information out of him.

"And you are?" She asked in a strong, clear voice.

The pig man appeared startled. His gaze went past her to her escort and he snapped. "I thought you said the drugs were _wearing_ off…This woman's mind is perfectly clear!!" Giving a disgusted look, made more disgusting on his face because it caused his multiple chins to crinkle, he coldly took out a gun, shot past her head, and then returned it to his desk.

From behind her she heard one of the two men gasp pitifully, then a _'Thud!'_ as he fell to the ground. "Well, what are you waiting for?!" The pig man glared at the remaining lackey. "Get it out of here; I don't want that corpse bleeding all over my rugs!!"

She couldn't turn around but she imagined the other had grabbed his dying companion and was hustling them out of the room as quickly as possible, followed by the door clicking shut again.

The overly large man was squinting at her again but she had many years of practice at controlling her facial features and so she merely smiled at him pleasantly. "And you are?" She asked again as if the last exchange hadn't even happened.

The disgusting man grinned. "Oh, I _like_ you." He chuckled and it made his whole body jiggle. "Cold…I like that." Seeming perfectly at ease he leaned back in his chair and continued to study her. "I paid a good amount for you, you know." He said suddenly. "I'm glad to see it was worth it…Tell me Nico Robin…" He gave her an ironic smile. "Do you think you're strong?"

She carefully turned the question over in her mind, looking for his reason for asking it. "In what way?" She inquired, tilting her head slightly to the side in a gesture meant to convey curiosity.

He chuckled again before answering. "In any way Miss Nico. Physically, emotionally, mentally. Are you strong?" With the ironic smile still lurking about his lips he copied her motion, tilting his head to the side.

Robin did not show any outward signs of surprise…Obscenely obese or not…The man before her had a sharp mind…which in a case like this was far more dangerous than physical power.

If she was to learn anything it would only be through hints he would drop in their conversation…It was unlikely she would be able to trick him into it.

"Yes." She finally said.

"Hmm…" He nodded as if he had expected this answer. "Do you know where you are Miss Nico? Or how you got here for that matter?"

"An underground laboratory." She answered promptly. "I was attacked in my home…and since you had to "buy" me I'm assuming I am no longer with pirates."

It hadn't been difficult to figure out that her attackers were Captain Frendin and his crew…Revenge had been on their minds after all. And selling her into slavery sounded _exactly_ like the kind of thing he would do.

He smiled again, his fat rolling up grotesquely. "Good girl." He said approvingly. "We are indeed in an underground lab, and you _were_ sold to me by pirates. Now do you know _why_ you are here?"

This one she had to think about…The keroseki around her extremities suggested marine involvement. But if the marines had her they would be forcing information out of her, not dumping her in a maze like some test subject. But still…the keroseki was the key, she was sure of it…

"I am here as a research subject." She didn't continue but he was already nodding again, seemingly pleased that she had figured it out that far. "Are you interested in what sort of test you will be taking part in?" He spread his arms, the rolls of fat moving sluggishly, and spoke again. "You may ask me anything you'd like about it and I will answer…Your reward for being such a good sport."

Whether he was taunting her or not this was her chance and the archeologist wasn't about to let it go by.

"What do you test here?"

Smiling again he leaned forward to grab the delicate glass off of his desk. "We test devil fruit users, and research the long term effects of them wearing keroseki."

That explained the jewelry.

"How many other subjects are here at the moment?"

He shrugged ever so slightly, which was still enough to make his body move. "I don't really know…They're always dying you see…" He looked up in pretended thought. "I'd guess we have fourteen or fifteen, excluding you."

"And they are all just set loose in the maze?"

"Correct again." He chuckled. "As I'm sure you witnessed we have ways of finding them when we want to, so I assure you they are all regularly fed, and there are restrooms at regular intervals…I'm not torturing my subjects you know." Then he chuckled again...a bit sadistically, she noted.

Robin desperately wanted to look away from the disgusting man but she didn't know how long she had and there were so many questions to ask.

"Who funds your research?"

"Dr. Vegapunk."

That was a surprise…but if the marines had her than why…?

For once she didn't need to ask. "Dr. Vegapunk has quite a few…_experiments_…the government wanted no part in. So he quietly funds _us_ to research for him."

Robin almost shivered. Dr. Vegapunk had done some cruel things in the name of "science," she didn't want to think what sort of experiments he had thought up that the government wasn't willing to condone…And she wasn't looking forward to the fact that _she_ might be put through one or two before the others got there…

Instead she focused on questions…What else should she ask…? Though she'd rather _not_ know it would be beyond foolish to not get the information she needed when she had the chance.

"And what part will I be playing in your experiment?"

The fat man licked his lips as he finished the last of his wine. "Marvelous." He said, giving the wine bottle on his desk an admiring look. "You will run through the same test all our subjects go through."

"Which is?" She prompted.

He smirked now, a disgusting look, and gave her the dreaded answer. "We equip our subjects with keroseki and let them free in the maze. We feed and water them, making sure they have the basic essentials of life…And we wait for them to go insane or die." He finished simply.

The hair on the back of her neck wanted to stand up in horror but she wouldn't allow it. "And which happens more?"

That she continued to dig for information seemed to amuse him. "Quite a few go insane I'll admit…but more often than not their bodies give out and they lay against a wall to die. As I understand it keroseki begins to _burn_ fruit users after a while…"

He gave her own damning jewelry a cursory glance before continuing. "It's why I wanted to know if you're strong you see. It gets awfully dull when you have to acquire new subjects every few days…So far those who believe they are strong have been proving themselves wrong. I hope you won't disappoint me in the same way."

"How long before they usually die?"

Again he seemed amused that she was persisting.

"The average life span is a week. But every three days we add to the keroseki load so…" He shrugged again and his body rippled in a disgusting way.

"How long before they go insane?"

He actually chuckled now. "Persistent aren't you?" He murmured.

"I'm a historian." She answered immediately. "All facts interest me."

"Of course." He reached forward again to refill his glass of wine. "That is dependent on the strength of their minds Miss Nico. I can give you no average because it happens quite a bit less than them dying of keroseki poisoning. However…" He paused to look at her thoughtfully, and this time it was genuine. "It's rare but sometimes a strong willed subject does show up…Someone who will continue to live in spite of the burning caused by our jewelry. "Again he looked her over and she almost shuddered in pure disgust. "In that case we sometimes have to help them along…"

She barely bat an eyelash at that and the fat man grinned widely again. "I have the feeling you might actually make it into that class Miss Nico…" He sounded pleased. "If you do I promise your name will be remembered." He motioned towards the wall to his right, her left, and she turned to look.

There was a plaque set into the stone wall, burnished with gold and shinning brightly, obviously it was kept polished. She was too far from it to read the names but she could see the lines. Six names…six people who had almost lived only to be destroyed by the disgusting waste of space in front of her.

"I respect those who are truly what they say they are Miss Nico. I honor their memory."

Slowly she turned back to look at him and he paled. She knew people were often afraid of her eyes…Demon eyes, they called them. But right now she gladly accepted that title as she glared at the disgusting creature sitting across from her.

There were many things she could have said…many things she would _like_ to have said…but there was only one thing that would express completely how she felt.

"You've made a mistake." Her voice was soft but deadly and she saw him fumble as he tried to smack a button on his desk that would call for help. "Your mistake…" She continued coldly. "Is assuming I will be one of your subjects who will eventually lay down to die for your amusement."

She heard the footsteps in the hall announcing the return of his guards.

She stood up and he let out a pig-like squeal even though she didn't move towards him at all. Two men, two _different_ men from before, burst into the office and quickly moved to her side, taking one arm each and holding them behind her back.

She ignored those outward motions, her eyes never leaving the fat man across from her.

He, having his men here and her restrained, regained some of his stolen dignity. "And how exactly do you propose you'll escape your fate here?" His own voice was filled with arrogant pride to mask the terror he still felt.

Robin smiled and even the guards grew nervous. "I don't have to escape." She said, no hint of hesitation in her voice. "My nakama are coming to get me."

No longer wanting to see her at all he snapped at the men holding her. "What are you standing around for? Get that test subject back into the lab!!"

"Sir!!" They both saluted and began moving the archeologist out, who didn't resist. Until the doors shut she did not lose eye contact with him and he felt his terror growing again.

Nico Robin certainly _was_ a devil…He smiled smugly to himself, pretending the fear didn't exist…One he would take _great_ pleasure in breaking…

* * *

**AN:** I actually enjoyed writing the scene between Robin and "the pig guy," (we'll call him that for the time being.) Robin is just so kick ass!! Also...I'm guessing Zoro was ooc, but keep in mind all he knows is she was drugged, _stabbed_, and taken away...Don't you think you'd be pissed off too?

Thanks to all of my reviewers!!! You guys make me supremely happy!!! (Even when I'm sickly. xD) Special thanks to BlueLion for correcting all of my mistakes so far. I'll go back and fix them I'm just really not feeling so great, but I wanted to get another chapter out for you guys. So thank you!! ^-^


	5. Zoro is grumpy

**AN: **I'm going to try this _once_ more. Three times today I tried posting this chapter but my computer would freeze and tell me no...So I got angry at it. Grr!!

I'm putting this up here for anyone that I didn't send a reply to...I had completely forgotten that Zoro's ooc-ness was in fact part of the story. I went and re-read the chapters (I'm trying to kill my writer's block.) I've already written and I realized it was part of the plot. xD Er...I should note that he's _still_ ooc-ish, but that's also a part of the plot so.....yeah. I feel so dumb for forgetting that. -_-

And I already mentioned this to a few people but I'm having difficulties writing Robin as insane. I mean, that's the point of the story but now that I'm there I realize I have no idea how to go about doing it. So if anyone has any suggestions for me either review or pm me please!

* * *

Nami was shaking her head at the absolute destruction her nakama had caused…Not that she didn't approve but…

The pirate crew who had verbally assaulted Robin the night before lay in broken and bleeding piles. She _almost_ felt sorry for them. Almost. And the only reason she would was because Zoro had scared even _her_. It was like a man possessed, and she could clearly understand why people in East Blue still referred to him as a demon.

But all that was besides the point. Chopper and Brook had identified both the Captain and first mate and now the two were tied securely in the middle of the room while the rest of their crew had been dealt with.

Picking her way across the room littered with bodies, unconscious and otherwise, the navigator stopped in front of the two remaining pirates. She'd like to question them but for once she restrained herself. Luffy was going to do it…she'd wait for him.

Moments later the pitiful men were surrounded by the entire Strawhat crew. Luffy bent down to be at eye level with the captain, who had been drinking riotously when they had found him but was now a pale, sweating mess of nerves. "Where's Robin?"

That was all it took before the first mate moaned pathetically. "I told you not to go messing with that devil woman!" He said to his captain. Well, that confirmed it at least…These were definitely the culprits responsible for Robin's kidnapping, but-

Her thoughts were cut off by Franky and Sanji's sudden grunts of surprise, and she turned to stare at the scene with wide eyes. Zoro's eyes had gone completely flat and he was struggling with his two nakama, trying to get past them and to the two terrified men on the floor. A terror she understood perfectly…For whatever reason Zoro was _frightening_ today. She was on his crew and _she_ wouldn't want to get in between him and his target.

"Zoro."

Her attention was pulled back to her captain; his hat was lowered to cover his eyes. "Let me…" The swordsman grunted as he shoved the cyborg off of him. "Kill them…!!!"

The rubber man intercepted him, one hand on each of the green haired man's forearms as he attempted to draw his katana. He raised his head again and the two had a silent contest as they glared at each other.

After a few tense moments the swordsman relaxed his arms, releasing his katana and backing up a pace. "Hurry it up…" She heard him snarl softly and she shivered again. "I want to kill them…"

Nami realized her own hands had begun shaking…There was something in her nakama's face that scared her…scared her beyond reasoning…

Luffy had returned to his position on the floor next to the pirates who were looking faint. "Where is Robin?" He asked again. The captain whimpered but his focus was not on the teen in front of him, it was still locked on the terrifying man who was waiting until he could slice him into pieces.

"We don't have her…!!" He began sobbing. "That devil woman nearly destroyed us…She'd destroy you too…"

Zoro growled and took another step forward and the pathetic man screamed miserably.

Nami looked up at him. The swordsman had yet to even look away from their hostages, his entire demeanor showing his urge to destroy them completely…

'_Why…? What in the world has gotten into him…?'_ The navigator bit her lip. She became aware that she wasn't the only one watching their blood thirsty nakama…In fact Luffy was the only one paying their prisoners any attention at all. The others were watching the green haired man with varying degrees of shock and fear.

Only Franky and Sanji were unafraid…In fact, they were both watching the other man with blank, unreadable expressions on their faces…What were they thinking, and did they have any idea what was driving Zoro's behavior?

There was another miserable scream and Nami looked back in time to see the captain faint. His first mate gave a terrified look around; aware that _he_ was the only one they had to pump for information now…And apparently he decided to talk before that was really necessary.

"The boss…The boss said that this was the perfect chance to get back at her." He whimpered, looking up at Luffy. "He said he had a great plan, and that we could make some money at the same time…so we…" He swallowed hard. "We used some drugs on her while she was washing dishes…"

"When?"

The man flinched and gave a terrified look to Zoro but he answered. "Early morning…wasn't long after the blond and pervert left the ship…"

"Why was there blood on the ground?"

Though Luffy was suppose to be interrogating him the swordsman was what held their prisoner's attention. He paled even more when he heard the question. "S-S-She was using that ability of hers…Would have snapped Bosco's spine so I-" He squeaked and then stopped, but it was too late to take it back and the look on Zoro's face made the man start babbling desperately.

"It was just a little nick! I wasn't doin' it to _hurt_ her, just to distract her for a bit...!!" The swordsman stepped forward again and, like his captain before him, the pirate screamed…though his was in pure terror.

"I'll tell you where the boss sold 'er just don't kill me!!"

Nami gave the captive a sharp look. "_Sold_ her?!"

Behind her she heard Sanji muttering curses, not just at the man in front of them but at their suddenly insane nakama as well. Usopp swallowed hard, his eyes still on the swordsman. Brook and Chopper were holding onto each other, and they were both silently crying. Franky's face continued to remain blank, and with his dark shades pulled down she couldn't get even a hint of what was going on in his mind.

The pirate began sobbing, his terror of Zoro overcoming everything else. If it continued like this they'd never get information out of him!! Standing bravely, though she didn't feel it at all, the copper haired woman stepped up to break his eye contact with their captive.

The look he gave her made her want to faint…but Robin's fate _was_ dependent on the coward's information and they were getting no where fast.

"Cut it out Zoro." Her voice was surprisingly steady. "The longer it takes to get him to talk the longer it is before we can get Robin back."

To her shock the swordsman seemed to deflate, his eyes falling to the ground. He didn't speak…He simply stood there.

His reaction scared her even more. This was not the Zoro she knew…not the insane blood thirsty maniac, or this docile version…

Shaking slightly and not understanding why Nami turned back to Luffy who had watched their exchange with a serious expression…Somehow it seemed the rubber man had understood more of it than _she_ had.

* * *

With the swordsman no longer terrifying their prisoner, (he had already done it enough to make the man cooperative) the interrogation went smoother.

They learned that sometimes Captain Frendin had done shady business dealings with a man known as 'Targe.' The first mate didn't know who he was or what happened to the prisoners but whenever Targe contacted them they would find a person, more specifically, a devil fruit user and by selling their captives they always made a tidy sum.

Other than that though his information amounted to nothing. He didn't know how to contact Targe, he didn't even know where the drop off point had been…the only other thing he had was that the disgusting bunch of pirates before them had sold their nakama for 15,000,000 beri, which was the largest sum they had ever received.

They had no real choice except to wait until the captain came to…And in the mean time Nami, with Sanji and Brook, took their own trip to Captain Frendin's ship to "repossess" the money they had received from their transaction.

* * *

Zoro stared down at the deck silently…This wasn't like him at all and he knew it but…What the hell was he supposed to do…? His rage at Robin's abduction was…Well, obviously _he_ understood why it had been so severe but his nakama were now giving him a wide berth, and he was aware of the confused and even frightened looks he was receiving.

The enemy captain and first mate were now tied to the Sunny's mast, (both unconscious), while they waited for the cowardly pieces of shit to wake up.

Not for the first time the swordsman regretted ever realizing his feelings for the dark haired archeologist…life would be so much less complicated…And that was the way Zoro preferred it.

There was movement beside him…Luffy…

The two men didn't speak for several long moments.

Finally the swordsman spoke, uncomfortable with the quiet. "What do you want to do with them after we know where they took Robin?" On second thought…Silence wasn't so bad. Even thinking about what he was going to do to those little shits made his blood boil.

"You want to kill them." It wasn't a question. The swordsman continued to stare down at the deck. Yeah he did, but now he felt like a fool for letting everyone know it…Hadn't he decided _not_ to let his feelings for Robin get in the way of the rest of his life?

And yet just hours ago he had become like a maniac in pursuit of her kidnappers…And now that they were caught he felt a horrible sense of helplessness. They were here and he couldn't get information out of them…or even stab them multiple times to make himself feel better.

But his captain was still waiting for a response… "Yeah."

Luffy didn't question him. All he said was, "We gotta know about Robin first." And then he stood up and walked away again, leaving the swordsman with his gloomy thoughts.

The next person to come sit beside him was surprisingly Chopper.

The little reindeer, having cried himself out earlier, sat next to him solemnly and didn't speak. Neither did he and eventually the zoan fruit user looked up at him. "Zoro…?"

The swordsman grunted to show he was listening.

"I'm sorry I didn't say anything about them yesterday…Robin was so upset though…" He looked down again. "She said they wouldn't do anything…"

The older pirate inwardly shook himself. His confusing depression had to be laid aside…if for no other reason than he was needed right now. "It's not your fault…" He paused for a moment before adding in a quieter voice, "I'm sorry I yelled at you."

"Y-You're not mad at me anymore…?"

Zoro looked over at the child-like doctor. "I shouldn't have taken it out like that…I was never mad at _you_." Chopper's shoulders slumped in relief and he sniffled quietly. "Okay…" His voice sounded a bit happier but as he dropped back to the deck he stopped and looked up at the swordsman. "We _will_ get Robin back…Won't we?"

His eye's went flat again despite his earlier chastisement of himself for it. "Yes." He growled softly. "We will."

The reindeer nodded at him, and then trotted away.

The green haired man turned away from the lower deck, unwilling to talk with anyone else, to stare out over the water. Patience wasn't necessarily his strong point…when he was training was a different story…but then again, almost anything that had to do with the dark haired woman was opposite of his normal.

He was just tired of sitting and waiting for the pirates behind him to wake up.

And unfortunately there was one more person who wanted to speak with him.

Zoro ignored him at first, hoping that the mechanic would get the point and leave him alone, but eventually it became obvious Franky wouldn't leave without at least a few words.

"What…?" He said quietly.

* * *

The blue haired man also looked out across the ocean, thinking seriously. It wasn't a good idea to push Zoro even at the best of times, and today had already shown the swordsman was on the edge. But it was because of those actions that Franky was going to speak to him at all, so he might as well get it over with.

"Does she know?" His voice was just as quiet as his nakama's.

Beside him the swordsman twitched and the shipwright had a second of panic, thinking he was going for his katana, but Zoro had just turned to look at him, his face hard.

Franky sighed…he didn't think a straight forward approach like this would work…but it wasn't like he was asking for entertainment purposes. He could care less if the swordsman felt something for their archeologist.

"You scared them today you know."

He didn't respond.

"I'm only asking for their sake."

Still the green haired teen only glared at him, with that glare that should melt holes in solid metal. Franky sighed again, this time in annoyance.

"Look…I don't care. Whatever is happening between you is between you…but I figured you would prefer me askin' to Sanji…He's about ready to tear into you, ya know?"

Zoro snorted. He wasn't afraid of raising the cook's ire.

The mechanic shook his head in disgust, deciding to give up. "Whatever…But at least for Robin's sake you gotta keep a lid on it man. You blowing a fuse isn't gonna help us save her any faster."

Without knowing it he was repeating the same message that Nami had given the swordsman earlier. The blue haired man began to walk away, ready to warn everyone else away from the moody swordsman when Zoro spoke.

"Franky."

He turned, lifting his dark glasses off his eyes as he did so.

"When the time comes I'll be in control of myself."

Then the younger man turned back out to stare at the sea. He shook his head. That was probably the best reassurance he was gonna get…And it would have to be enough.

The mechanic left the upper deck to return to the kitchen. He would have liked a private moment with the cook but Nami was there too. The blond looked up at him sharply but he only shrugged. There wasn't much anyone could do…

The cook continued to cater to their navigator's every whim but it was obvious he was distracted. Franky sat at the table, drinking a cola slowly, more for something to do than because he really wanted it. No one liked waiting like this…

The copper haired woman sighed. "What's going on guys?" She looked first at one and then the other. "Do you know…what's wrong with Zoro…?"

Sanji cursed, quietly but fervently.

The older man looked down at the table.

He didn't have to be looking at Nami to tell her eyes had narrowed when they refused to answer. Before she could start in on either of them though Chopper's small voice caught their attention.

"Uh…Nami…"

The reindeer was standing directly in the doorway, leaning against the door frame, trying to hide backwards. The three older pirates looked at the doctor. "Zoro...um…I think Zoro had some of this." He held up a small plant for them all to see.

Franky blinked. Wha…?

"What is that Chopper-kun?" The copper haired woman had leaned forward and was looking at him intensely. He entered the kitchen fully, looking around in a nervous manner, before presenting the tiny plant for her consideration.

"It's called Loco Weed…" His voice was very soft. "I basically causes a person to lose control of themselves in anger…berserk they call it…"

Franky allowed his sun glasses to drop back over his eyes. He _knew_ that wasn't the reason for their swordsman's reaction…so why would the little zoan fruit user think it was the cause…?

"That's yours right?" The mechanic asked him. The child-like doctor jumped, startled. "Y-Y-Yes…" Behind the dark shades he raised one eyebrow. "Is some of it missing? Is that why you think Zoro might have gotten it in his system?"

Chopper didn't meet his eyes; instead the small reindeer looked down at the table. "…Yes…"

But…

Before Franky could speak again Usopp's voice came from the doorway. "I think Chopper's right." The cyborg closed his mouth; he and the other pirates had turned back to the door where their sharp shooter and musician were now standing.

Seeing how he had their attention the black haired teen continued. "Think about it…Zoro's been acting crazy all day…He argued with Luffy, which he _never_ does, and he seemed to almost be out of control, which he _never_ is."

Slowly the young man came into the room, still holding his nakama's attention. "It doesn't make sense any other way."

Flipping his dark glasses back up the mechanic grunted. "But that doesn't explain…"

"I also agree with Chopper-kun."

There was a moment of silence…Brook hardly ever voiced an opinion like that…The skeleton was still very shy with them and while his personality was wild and exuberant it wasn't often he spoke up in a serious conversation.

Franky's attention was diverted from his oldest nakama by Usopp sitting next to him.

"If some of Chopper's medicine stuff is missing…and it causes people to act completely abnormal…it stands to reason that's what was wrong with Zoro…" The teen _looked_ at him, obviously trying to say something without using words.

And suddenly Franky got it. Not a single one of them believed it. Not even Chopper…They were trying to create a loop hole for their grumpy swordsman, to give him his privacy. The blue haired man swallowed but nodded slowly.

"Yeah…" He said. "Yeah, it makes sense…"

Sanji had turned back to the stove and was stirring something in a saucepan, he didn't speak up again. Nami was looking back and forth between all the males in the room with a semi-frustrated look on her face, but eventually she sighed and gave in as well.

"Well…I'm glad you told us Chopper. You should probably let Luffy know too…" Her voice wasn't very gracious and the carpenter suspected that all present were going to be facing her wrath for a while for not indulging her curiosity…But that couldn't be helped.

Briefly he wondered how much the others actually _did_ know…That the youngest member of their group had come up with an excuse made him think that even the reindeer was aware of it…

Franky downed the rest of his drink. "Hey Usopp, come help me refill some cola barrels."

The teen nodded and the two men escaped the tense atmosphere in relief.

'_How much longer…'_ He wondered uncomfortably. _'Until they wake up?'_

Robin was waiting for them somewhere…and Zoro…well; it was just a problem, one he hoped they would be resolved sooner, rather than later…

* * *

**AN:** That brief bit with Zoro fighting Sanji and Franky earlier was mostly so I could have a small confrontation between him and Luffy. Because they're cool . :P

Loco weed, for those of you who are not as big a geek as I am, comes from the Final Fantasy series, and it _is_ intended to make the person berserk, (cause then they hit _really_ freaking hard!!) and I love the idea of them all being aware of what's going on, but still trying to ignore it, so go Chopper for providing an excuse!! :)

Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers, you guys make me so very very happy and I really appreciate it!


	6. Everybody just has to wait

**AN: **Quick update here, and a small chapter but I'll hurry up with the next one so...yeah. Thank you to all my reviewers!! I am super happy when I log on and see new reviews~!! ^o^

Just so you're aware time starts going by faster. I made sure to let everyone know how long it's been in between each break, but I didn't want to try and explain every single day since not a lot happens. The Strawhats are sailing around and Robin is waiting for them. :P

I do not own One Piece

* * *

Nearly another hour later their prisoners had awoken. Zoro had remained by the railing on the top deck, staring off at the sea and seemingly unaware of what was happening below him, though no one really believed _that_.

Brook had gone and informed Franky and Usopp, who had returned to the deck, to join the rest of their nakama. Chopper had taken their captain to the side and had spoken to him quietly…the cheerful young teen nodding, his expression still serious and after the doctor had finished he had marched back over to their captives.

No one interrupted him this time.

He questioned them on when and where they had sold his missing nakama, who the agent they sold her too was, and how to contact him. Again their responses were disappointing.

Captain Frendin had no way of contacting Targe. The best he could do for them was give the route the slaver had planned on taking, and they would have to catch _him_ for more answers.

The only other useful piece of information the cowardly pirates had was the reason devil fruit users were required. Targe worked for some form of research facility…Though he didn't know what _research_ was being done on them.

Interrogation finished Luffy had jumped up to the top deck to speak to his first mate. The rest of the crew didn't know what was said but Zoro's face had been furious and after a few moments of quietly arguing the swordsman had left his place at the rail and gone below…no one felt comfortable with going after him.

Franky and Sanji were assigned to taking the pirates back to their ship, with Nami accompanying them for the map of Targe's route, (conveniently it seemed the cowardly Captain Frendin had a habit of collecting Eternal Poses, which the navigator had no guilt "relieving" him of)…And after that they had set sail…They had already lost half a day waiting for their captives to speak…and more time would be lost as they reached each island on the map, being forced to try and track down the slave trader.

He had been on this route for many years, and he knew his regular clients well…While it would take them a few hours each time, he could speak to one person, and if they had no one to sell him he would be on his way.

* * *

The dark haired pirate didn't know how long it had been since her first interview with the pig man…The white walls of the maze, kept constantly lit, had skewed her perception of time, being further hampered by the fact that they were underground.

Time really had no meaning in this dreadful place, and Robin began to see how it was people could go insane…Nothing but white to see, no one else to speak to…

Six times since she had met the laboratory's boss pairs of men, flying with their unusual backpacks, had found her to give food and water. There were also bathrooms set at regular intervals, the only places in the maze that had four walls and a door to allow a person true privacy. Pig man, or 'The Don' as her captors referred to him, hadn't been lying when he said he provided for the essentials. No prisoner would die from starvation or dehydration…

It was on the seventh time the men found her that she realized how much time had passed…Once again she was thrown over one man's shoulder and flown to the platform and monitoring room, and as the smaller platform started up the mining shaft she remembered his words…Every three days they would add to the keroseki load. She was positive there was no other reason he would want her near him.

Three days already…The archeologist had allowed herself a slight smile. She could just imagine the look on her captain's face when he got here…And that thought encouraged her to stay calm and in control.

The Don was as disgusting as she had remembered him. He still sat at his overly large desk, this time eating a feast enough to feed her crew, minus Luffy…

When he saw her, his eyes narrowed but the bastard only continued with his meal, waving one meaty hand. From behind her another man entered, the exact opposite of the Don. Where he was so obese it made her sick to look at the other man was tall and extremely emaciated. His skin was so pale and stretched across his slight frame that it looked almost translucent…If the Don was a pig than this man was a walking corpse.

The disturbingly skeletal man had gone to a locked cabinet on the opposite side of the room from the polished golden plaque and had scrapped around for several moments before bringing three small wooden boxes to the desk.

The Don reached into the neckline of his bulky robe and fished out a key that rested on a golden chain around his fat neck. Tossing the key carelessly to the other man he ignored the others in the room, instead focusing back on the steaming dishes in front of him.

While the Don had no interest in what the other man was doing Robin watched him carefully. The unnaturally thin human had opened his three wooden boxes to reveal five pieces of keroseki jewelry exactly like the ones she was already wearing. The most interesting thing was the small keyholes in their little locks on the back side of each piece. She had noticed them before on her own and had come to the conclusion that it was how they were opened…

The archeologist kept her face calm and blank but internally she smiled grimly. The locks appeared to be all the same, and the Don's key opened them all. It was a safe bet that his was the _only_ key that would do so…

She didn't protest or fight against them as the new pieces were placed on her wrists, ankles, and neck…though the terrible draining effect immediately doubled. Struggling now would only give her less strength in the long run, and she needed it…who knew how long before the other Strawhat pirates got here?

Satisfied that she now had ten pieces on her frame the skinny man returned the small key, which disappeared into the Don's rolls of fat immediately, and left the room without once speaking.

Her captors had pulled her back to her feet, ready to drag her out again, when she chose to speak.

"My companion's will be here soon."

She didn't actually know how much longer before they would get there…but she had no doubt, now, that they _would_ come for her.

The Don had frozen in the act of putting a chicken leg into his mouth and he gave her a look filled with a startled sort of terror. Slowly she smiled…he was most certainly afraid of her…but she was also sure that her strong voice and calm reactions were scaring him too. The man swallowed hastily and barked at her guards.

"Get her out of here!! I have things to do!!"

They complied and again Robin didn't fight them. It didn't matter. Eventually the others would get here and she would enjoy the look of _true_ terror on his face then…

To her jailer's discomfort the dark haired woman allowed herself another smile…She knew she had some definite sadistic tendencies…but in her case, who could really blame her?

Docilely she followed them to the outer platform, and allowed herself to be carried back out into the maze. She was tired, and the keroseki was almost unbearably heavy, but she refused to give in to such petty problems.

The archeologist stayed on her feet, aware that letting herself lie down would only be one step closer to death, and she moved down the bland hallways confidently. She could hold out until her nakama came to rescue her…

* * *

The pirate ship The Thousand Sunny had become a gloomy sort of place, quite unusual considering the crew it housed. The usually boisterous pirates had become despondent, with no real laughter having been heard for days…Five days to be exact…

Five days ago Robin had been kidnapped and though they were on the kidnapper's trail they had so far been unable to catch even a glimpse of him. The route he was taking was not extremely long…in fact, if they could hop from island to island as fast as he was, (i.e. without having to search every nook and cranny) the trip would take a total of one week…but they were barely half way through the island chain.

Nami had become increasingly waspish. The stock of Eternal Poses she had taken from Captain Frendin were proving to be less helpful that she had hoped…Most of them were for far off islands that had nothing to do with their search. As the navigator she felt responsible for getting them to the islands as quickly as possible and then back out to sea again…the time it took to look for the slave trader was intolerable.

Sanji continued to cater to Nami's every whim…though those had become few and far between. When not ensuring the navigator's comfort, or cooking, the blond had taken to standing on the back deck, watching the waves behind them as he smoked. His expression was serious, and it had been for days. Occasionally he would look up towards the crow's nest, and the nakama it housed, but he never approached.

Franky had spent most of his time below deck, tinkering with one machine or another, though his normal excitement was absent. He too felt responsible for the speed they were capable of and more often than not he had begun designing and re-designing ways of making the Sunny faster.

Chopper had grown more and more miserable. He usually kept himself busy with preparing medications, taking stock of what he did and didn't have, checking their shelf life, or reading medical texts and journals…However, his discussions with their missing archeologist had been the highlight of his day, after dinner every night, and without her there to talk to he found himself not even wanting to read…Especially not the books he had bought with Nami…the books he had so been looking forward to showing her…

Brook was still trying to keep them cheered up. He, more than the rest of them, knew what it was like to miss and worry about a nakama. And in his many years of separation from Laboon the musician had developed the firm belief that music soothed the soul. He was on deck often, playing soft, and sweet songs on his violin. They respected his feelings on the matter so no one told him to stop, and in return he didn't play anything that would remind them of their normal cheerful behavior.

Usopp had split his time between the mechanic, doctor, and musician. The cowardly sniper wasn't one to let depression sink him and so he had continued on with his normal behavior, helping Franky with inventions, telling Chopper tall tales, and even convincing Brook that he had once been his _own_ captain.

Luffy, undaunted as ever, appeared to act relatively normal. He was hungry constantly, playing games with the sniper and reluctant doctor, and cheering their living skeleton on in song. He seemed normal but every now and then…most especially when they would leave another island with no leads; he would have a stressed look on his face, which would immediately be replaced with a smile if anyone looked at him.

In contrast to most of the crew's changed habits Zoro seemed to have gone right back to normal. The swordsman ate, slept, and trained. At each island, while they searched for the slave trader, they worried there would be a repeat performance of that first day…but whatever had been bothering the green haired teen was apparently gone. He seemed so normal that his nakama, who had been completely _convinced_ that something was going on, began to wonder if they hadn't imagined his behavior.

The only indication that something was wrong with him was that he didn't speak to Luffy…at all…

The two teens hadn't spoken since their brief argument on the bridge that first day, and though neither of them made a big deal, it was unusual enough to be noticeable.

* * *

According to their navigator's calculations they would reach the next island tomorrow morning…and the search would start all over again.

* * *

**AN: **Yes I named him 'The Don' xD I couldn't think of any snobby bastardish names so...lol. I'm lame and I admit it. :P Sorry again that it's a short chapter, the next one will be as well. I just wanted to get it out.


	7. Finally they catch a bad guy!

**AN: **Is it bad that my other story has 20 chapters more than this one and they've got the same amount of reviews? 0.o I'm just wondering what that means in relation to my writing style. xD

Anyways, I told you guys I'd update again before the end of this week. :) Since you're all so lovely and asked so nicely that is. :P Amythest Turtle: Sorry about your insides, hopefully this will make you feel better, lol!

I do not own One Piece.

* * *

Strawhat Luffy's rubbery fist shot out, trying to catch the escaping man. Their enemy, the slaver named Targe, was fast enough to dodge by jumping into the air. He had jumped on instinct, but he had thrown himself into the air a little _too_ hard, knocking into the building next to him and barely managing to kick off of it before the wall was suddenly destroyed by the blond pirate's kick.

Desperately the man tried to escape again, and then was forced to bend backwards to avoid the gigantic fist that was shot at him. The missile went flying above his head and before he was able to roll away the sniper got him in the gut with a fiery ball.

The only thing that allowed him to escape capture right there was the smoke kicked up from his landing on the dusty street. Hastily he crawled into the nearest alley, keeping his body low so as to remain unseen. Which _would_ have worked if they hadn't had someone who could sniff him out.

The slaver gasped in pain as the human reindeer's fist caught him in the gut too, the force throwing him back out of the alley and into the wall on the other side. Before he could move again there were two swords, buried practically to their hand guards, in the solid stone on either side of him, a third held in the green haired swordsman's mouth, keeping him from moving at all.

"Where is she?!" The younger man's tone was low but deadly. Targe couldn't speak even if he wanted to. He had no idea who _she_ was…! "_Where is she..?!_" The man snarled again.

His nakama were coming closer but the swordsman barely even seemed to notice them. He only had to shift a little before the third katana was pressed against the trapped man's throat…if he moved he would be cut open immediately. The slaver gave him a pleading look, which only seemed to infuriate him more, and winced when it looked like the green haired man was going to kill him then and there.

"Zoro!!" Strawhat Luffy's voice was the only thing that saved him…he was sure of it. The swordsman may have been young but there was something…some natural instinct or trait, that born killers possessed…and this man was filled with it. If the other pirate hadn't been there he probably would have been cut into several pieces and then fed to a wild animal.

Fury still radiating off of him the swordsman backed up slightly, his two katana still embedded in the stone beside him, but the third was no longer threatening his prisoner's life…Targe gave a sigh of relief, and then choked on it when the malevolent look on the other man's face increased.

"Zoro." Not breaking eye contact with the man they had just captured, but listening to his captain's voice, the green haired pirate backed further away. Strawhat Luffy looked at his nakama briefly but it seemed that was all his subordinate was willing to give. The teen turned his attention back to the slaver.

"Where's Robin?"

He wanted to whimper in fear. Again they were asking about a woman but he didn't have any clue of who it was…! "I don't know…" His voice was small, and cut off abruptly when the swordsman turned the two katana in the walls next to him. Small chips of the solid stone fell and the meaning was clear…The rock behind him presented no challenge…and his skin would be even less of one.

He swallowed heavily, trying to speak and make them understand. "I-I really don't know…!" His voice was still quiet in terror. "I don't know who you're talking about…!"

The green haired man's eyes narrowed but instead of ripping into him he spoke to one of his nakama. "Franky." The younger man's voice was little more than a growl. "Where's the wanted poster?"

A tall, blue haired man stepped forward. Briefly Targe recognized him as the one who had shot the missile at him. Without speaking he held up a wanted poster for…Targe gulped…The tall, black haired, blue eyed woman he had sent on to the lab nearly a week ago!! Despite his attempt to stop it a whimper _did_ escape his mouth. Her name had been Nico Robin, and she was worth…80 million…?! Obviously those pirates didn't even know what kind of merchandise they had their hands on…

Having been lost in his thoughts the slaver was unprepared for the sudden jerking of the green haired man's forearm, which resulted in the right half of the building he was pressed against collapsing. He might have screamed, and the pirate's eye twitched.

"If you faint you won't wake up again…" He growled.

"N-N-No sir!" The captive squeaked. "T-That woman…She was s-sold to me about six days ago…" He gulped down another squeak, afraid that if he wasn't quick enough the swordsman might start carving into him. "I sent her on to The Don as soon as I got her…!!"

The group of pirates gave varying reactions. The blond began cursing…nearly snarling out the words, while the captain folded his arms across his skinny chest, the swordsman didn't move any closer or farther away, in fact his expression didn't change at all…but the beautiful copper haired woman, whom he hadn't noticed before, moved closer. "Who's The Don, and where is he?!" She snapped.

Targe stared at the petite woman, his mind wandering into how much someone like her could sell for…"You want to sell her to me…?" He asked without thinking. "I'll give you 5 million…"

He was cut off again as the blond suddenly moved, swinging one leg up and into the wall on the left, shattering it just as easily as his nakama did before…Now there was only a tiny bit of wall left, and he was pressing against it as hard as he could, all the pirate's glaring at him except the captain.

"Where is Robin?" The teen said again, and for a brief second he was the only thing the slaver could see…Something about the small, skinny pirate had him gasping for air, like something was suddenly pushing against his lungs so hard they would break.

But the swordsman wasn't going to let his attention wander for long. Moving easily, if carefully, he whipped one katana past the man's face before sheathing all three of them…A trickle of blood ran down from the thin, shallow cut. He whimpered out loud again.

"The Don runs a r-research facility on Karatok Island." He fumbled to reach into his coat and pull out a map to show them but the swordsman growled again and he froze in terror. "I-I-I have a m-map!" He swallowed. His captor's expression didn't change, but he had the feeling if he didn't hurry it up he would be a dead man…If they knew he had a map they could easily kill him and search his dead body. Shaking like a leaf the slaver pulled out his map and held it out.

The blue haired man took it and passed it back to the woman who opened it immediately. He could see her eyes scan the map rapidly and then she began swearing as well.

"What is it Nami-san?" The blond spoke quietly, his eyes still on their prisoner. Biting off another curse she held up the map. "I assume you have an Eternal Pose to get there." It wasn't a question. "Give it to me."

He swallowed harshly. "It's on my s-ship."

"Take us there."

* * *

The Thousand Sunny was again on the open ocean. The copper haired navigator stood next to the wheel, glaring first at the map in one hand, then the Eternal Pose in the other, and then finally out at the open water they were sailing through. They had lost five whole damn days…! Karatok Island would have been their next stop if they had followed their own log post and the navigator couldn't stop the annoyance she felt. Robin would have been trapped for a full ten days by the time they would get there…And if they had hurt her…Well, not a single one of the Strawhat pirates would sit back and leave that damn place standing…Not that there was much hope for it at the moment…

She looked up at the crow's nest briefly before glaring back down at her map. Everyone could make up all the excuses they wanted…and even if he was _behaving_ normally…she was not about to forget that first day.

Zoro had been in a rage like she'd never seen before…stopping only when she pointed out that he wasn't helping Robin in the slightest. Berserk…? Yeah right…Berserk meant you attack any and everything…Which admittedly he had been pretty angry at all of them as well but he didn't actually _attack_ them.

Something was going on with him…

* * *

Robin stopped against one of the endless white walls…She was so tired…

If they had continued the pattern of feeding twice a day she had been here six days…They would come and find her soon to give her more keroseki jewelry…

The thought itself was daunting. And what was it the Don had said that first day…? The average life span was a week…The archeologist clenched her teeth. She _would_ live past that…She was not going to sit down and die here…

She forced herself to start moving again, one hand barely touching the wall and using it as a guide of where to go. She had long ago given up on reaching one end of the maze or another…It wouldn't be possible to get through that huge area in three days, and they had dropped her off somewhere new both times so far…She didn't doubt that pattern would continue.

Her dark hair fell into her eyes and the tall woman raised one shaking hand to move it back. Had she slept since she was brought here? She couldn't remember…

Robin stopped and strained her ears…Damn it…She could hear the faint hum of their repulsor lift engine backpacks…

The pirate stopped again, leaning against the wall looking nonchalant as they approached. Even if it wasn't a habit to hide any and all weaknesses, she would have forced herself to do so in these circumstances anyway.

Minutes later they had landed and she gave them an ironic smile as she waved. "Shall we?" She spoke in a cheerful voice.

Her jailers gave each other a quick look before picking her up and taking her off again…Robin smiled, even with the bastard's shoulder pressing into her gut. It was a small pleasure to scare them…but it was one she appreciated at the moment.

Forcing herself to breath deeply she focused on maintaining an outward appearance of calm…A man like the Don…Nothing would upset him more than seeing his prisoner acting like a perfectly sane, rational human being. She allowed the smallest hint of a smirk to form on her face...Not to mention, of course, his absolute terror of her would grow as she surpassed all of his expectations.

And really…There was nothing more that she could do until the others got here…She just had to wait until her nakama found her.

* * *

Her meeting with the Don was even shorter this time. He had a bottle and glass of wine on his desk again but he didn't touch it at all and she guessed it was there more for his comfort than anything else.

The skeletal man from three days ago was in the room when she was brought in this time and Robin made a point of smiling at him widely when he brought the new keroseki chains to her. If this bothered him he didn't say anything. He simply shackled her, returned the key to his boss, and left.

Though her body felt even heavier she stood calmly, acting as though it didn't bother her at all. Without being prompted she turned and walked back towards her guards, who appeared relieved that she wasn't putting up a fight. Just before reaching the door she turned, surprising the three men in the room. "My companion's will be here soon." She said again in a mild tone.

While his face turned a furious red she turned back to the door and let herself out, hearing her jailers quickly following her, and then laughing ever so slightly when they picked her up.

She didn't struggle as they took her back to the blindingly bright maze and left her there. Robin began walking again, trying to ignoring the burning sensation that had begun in her arms, legs, and neck. Hopefully it wouldn't be too much longer before the others got here…

* * *

**AN:** Yeah Zoro was pretty pissed earlier, but it's been _days_ so I feel justified in making him a maniac. :P Plus it gave me the kicks and giggles when he broke the building. And Sanji's reaction too. lol.

Not sure when the next update will be but I promise it's when they get Robin back...er wait. It might be the one after that. I don't remember. xD Gimme a break!! I've been working so hard on my school work I gave myself a fever yesterday!! Erk...and now I must go do more. *whimper*

Hope you guys like the chapter and please leave me a review! I'm always interested in knowing what people do and don't like about my writing. :)


	8. Poor Robin, she almost made it

**AN: **Sorry!!! I didn't reply to like, anybody's reviews and I feel bad. :( School is just seriously hard all of a sudden. But I really do appreciate every one! Thank you so much!!

I do not own One Piece, if I did I would've put Zoro and Robin together by now. :P

* * *

The dark haired archeologist sat upright in the chair across from the Don, the slightest smile on her face. She may have been pale and worn, with dark circles under her eyes, but she was still alive and she was still sane.

The grossly fat man couldn't even meet her eyes now. Any time he did his confused fear of her could be seen clearly and he was terrible at hiding it.

Though she knew it might be a stretch of what she was capable of Robin allowed her body to lean back in its chair and crossed her legs. The patiently amused smile she had always used before to hide her feelings had been firmly fixed on her face for days now…long enough that she no longer even needed to concentrate on it.

The Don fidgeted nervously with the thin gold chain around his neck. To a lesser trained eye it would appear _he_ hadn't changed since their first encounter either, but Robin knew what to look for.

The fat man hadn't been eating or drinking well…or resting well for that matter. In fact, she was willing to bet quite a bit on the thought that he had hardly been capable of it for days. And it wasn't too terribly difficult to guess why.

He had expected her to cave much sooner than this…He had _wanted_ her to break under the pressure…But Robin had things she wanted to do, with people who cared about her, and she was no longer willing to give up and die just because it hurt.

And it _did_ hurt. Terribly.

The slightly painful feeling that had begun on the sixth day was now a horrible burning feeling throughout her entire body…The archeologist was not a stranger to pain of any kind…Her life before the Strawhat's had been filled with dangerous people and situations. Though she had not, and _would_ not ever discuss it with them, the beautiful woman had been exposed not only to the art of assassination at a young age but also had been instructed on the finer points of torture…Those points which had been applied to her on a few occasions. She was capable of enduring physical pain, (not on the level of Luffy, Sanji, or Zoro but…) however, it was undeniable what the keroseki was doing to her.

The devil's fruit she had eaten had made the embrace of water painful and deadly for her…with keroseki being the solid form of it…In a very real way she was being slowly poisoned and tortured at the same time. But she would stand it. She would _not_ give in…

These thoughts had gone through her head more than once in the last nine days…a simplistic form of a "pep talk" to keep herself going. And when even that failed to help her she needed only to remember her nakama's faces…They were coming to save her and she could not fail them by dying this way…

The Don slammed his fist down on his desk suddenly, making the guards behind her jump, and Robin's smile widen. "Where the hell is he?!" The fat man bellowed. "You! Go and find Heldig immediately!!"

Behind her she heard one of the two men move and his frightened, "Yes sir!!" before the door opened and shut.

"Oh my…" She murmured. "You certainly seem tense…"

His eyes jerked back to her and she could see the malevolent hatred burning there. "Could it be…?" She continued in a soft but clear voice. "That you are beginning to realize your mistake…?" Once again the dark haired woman smiled at him…and this time it seemed to drive him over the edge.

"Call the doctor…" He snarled at the other man in the room. "Tell him to prep the surgery room immediately."

The pirate's eyes narrowed. _'Surgery…?!'_

The second guard also saluted and rushed out of the room, leaving them alone. "I warned you…" The fat man wheezed; his body unable to handle so much stress. "I warned you Nico Robin…!"

Robin thought quickly. Very soon the guards would be back, and they would be putting her through some kind of surgery, which would undoubtedly be unpleasant. There was practically no chance that her body would be able to respond enough for her to attack the Don but what other choice was there…?

Using the element of surprise the pirate jumped across the desk, reaching for the fat man's throat…Well, not quite a jump…Her body, pushed almost to it's limit already, did _not_ want to throw itself across the desk and it only managed a kind of pathetic lunge…

But she was on the desk, her hands grasping for the key while the Don choked in surprise. It didn't take him long to remember how weak she was though and with a roar of rage he back handed her with one meaty hand. The force was enough to throw her off the desk and her she had to bit down on her lip _hard_ to keep from crying out. She tasted blood in her mouth but ignored it.

For the first time the Don was out of his chair, his disgusting bulk shifting as he moved towards her, his own hands outstretched for her neck. The guards had returned however, so her life was saved as they held the fat man back.

Shaking, her body on the point of collapse, the dark haired woman tried to move away; only to be stopped by the skeletal man that she assumed was Heldig…She looked up into his dead eyes, breathing heavily as she did so. He didn't respond to her look, he merely kept a firm grip on her upper arm, waiting for his employer to regain his composure, which took several minutes.

*

The Don was breathing heavily when the guards released him. His massive body was not capable of the strain it had been going through…all because of that Devil Woman…!!

She was sitting on the floor, Heldig holding one arm, and as he looked at her she deliberately smirked smugly. It was intolerable!! _Never_ in all the time he had run this facility had a test subject shown such…arrogance! They would beg and plead for their lives…Even those who's names were on his wall had lost their confident air by the time they were about to die…!!

And yet Nico Robin was still hanging on, her composure hadn't slipped once, not even in the maze (his men kept a close watch on her after all.) It was unnatural!! No _human_ could live with this and still smile…!!

The Don's fury had reached it's peak…He did not care to study her anymore…But he wasn't going to give her the pleasure of dying easily…Oh no. "Heldig…" He snarled. "Take the other sets off of her, and then get her into the surgery room."

That damned demon looked at him, raising one perfectly shaped eyebrow yet showing no other signs of interest. "Is that what it means when you _'help' _your subjects along?" She threw his words from the first day back at him.

Shaking in rage he moved towards her…he wasn't going to kill her though…He wanted her to _know_, to be _aware_ of what was going to happen to her.

"You will go through a very special surgery Miss Nico…" His voice was low with anger, but there was a note of perverse pleasure in it. "A surgery that no other doctors in the world have done…And then I will let you go again…" He chuckled darkly. "Maybe I'll even return you to your nakama."

Her eyes narrowed and he could see her thoughts forming…trying to understand what he meant…but he just laughed at her derisively. "You'll understand soon Miss Nico…And then you'll understand exactly how wrong you are…No one is coming to save you, no one _can_ save you, and after this, no one will even _want_ to save you."

She had re-mastered her expression and she looked up at him seriously. "You're wrong." Again her voice was filled with unwavering belief. "My nakama are coming to get me-"

He didn't allow her to finish, hitting her across the face again with all his strength, rendering her unconscious immediately.

"Take those things off of her!" He snarled, meaning the extra sets of keroseki jewelry. "I want her to last for _days_ after this…"

Heldig did as instructed, like always, and after they left the Don relaxed back in his opulent office, secure in the knowledge that soon Nico Robin was no longer going to be a problem for him. She had been an excellent test subject but he had no more use of her now…And he would dispose of her how she rightly deserved.

**

Robin awoke briefly in the surgery room. She was tied to the operating table, and though she was still exhausted her body no longer hurt _quite_ as bad. She struggled, of course, but there was really no point in it.

Whatever they planned to do to her…she would still be alive afterwards, if they were going to kill her they would do it, not perform surgery on her…And the others would still save her…It didn't matter how much it would hurt. The dark haired pirate would _not_ be defeated by this…!

When the doctors around her had noticed she was awake they quickly pumped her full of drugs and regretfully she began to lose consciousness again…

If she had know it was the last few moments of sanity she would have the archeologist would have fought harder against it…but she _didn't_ know that and so she let herself drift off, with a firm resolution that she would survive.

* * *

**AN: **Sorry, suspenseful again I know. And I apologize for how short this chapter is, but I wanted to get it out, and hopefully kick my brain back into gear. I've finished chapter 11 but now I'm stuck and it's frustrating. :(

Thank you for your comments and encouragement! Knowing you guys are enjoying this makes me want to write more. :)


	9. Robin finally gets rescued!

**AN: **This might be the last update for a while. :( I sat down to work on another chapter even when I wasn't "in the mood" and it turned out just as I expected....crappy. :( So I just won't be able to write until I deal with my writer's block, which is partially stemming from a million other ideas in my head. Maybe if I write a first chapter for all of them they'll go away and I can concentrate again. ):

Thanks for sticking with me so far though! :D And don't worry the suspense will end...they get her back this chapter. *Maniacal laughter*

Oh, **BlueLion**: I am so sorry!! You took the time to review so much of my stuff and really looked through it to help me and I haven't gone back and fixed things yet! D: I didn't forget but I just kept putting it off and now I realize it's been 5 chapters, I'm so lazy. :( So sorry again, and thank you so much for helping me out!! (The problem I face now is that I don't know how to go back and edit already posted chapters. 0.o Do I have to delete them to re-edit? 0.o)

**WindWitch00**: I tried making Zoro more in character, but I'm pretty sure I've mentioned before that I'm not good with his character. :( But tell me if you think I'm getting any better at it, okay? Thank you!! :D

Thanks guys for reviewing and letting me know you're still enjoying it, otherwise I'd probably just drop this story for a few months and work on something else. But since I know there are people waiting on me than I'll work really hard!! :)

I do not own One Piece. (Jeez, this was a kinda long AN wasn't it? 0.o)

* * *

Though everyone could tell he was against it Zoro didn't say anything when they brought Targe along, tied to the mast. Nami's reasoning was sound. Not only would they be able to pump him for information about the place Robin was being held, they could also force him to _guide_ them there…Significantly cutting back the time it would take to find her on Karatok Island.

So while wisdom won out in the end the swordsman did _not_ like it and that was obvious. Their prisoner was also aware that the green haired man wanted him dead and so he was extremely cooperative with them. Whether he was hoping they would allow him to live or if it was just to keep Zoro from carving him open for information, they didn't know. All that mattered, while they were sailing at least, was what he could tell them.

Nami had taken it upon herself to be the main interrogator, though Sanji was always close by in case he should insult her again, and after the first day the copper haired woman had convinced Brook to be present too. The walking skeleton seemed to scare their captive almost as much as Luffy and Zoro did…all she needed from him was to be in plain sight and Targe would tell her anything she wanted to know.

At dinner each night the navigator would brief them about what she had learned that day, and by the fifth day she had produced not only a rough map of the island, but the basics of the underground complex where their nakama was being held, along with the guard's timetable, the Don's daily routine, and the codes for using the cameras in the monitor room.

The idea of a gigantic maze that Robin was trapped in wasn't pleasant, especially considering how easily _some_ of her crew could get lost…but on the afternoon of the tenth day since their nakama's abduction Nami stood on the bow of this ship, watching the shoreline of the island as they drew closer, and made up her mind about what would happen.

The Strawhat pirates were all looking grim as the island grew bigger in their sights. Knowing what sort of place their archeologist had been trapped in had gotten to them all. Even Brook, who hardly ever lost his cheerful demeanor, was angry.

Nami took it upon herself to go to the crow's nest and speak to their swordsman.

"Zoro."

The green haired man ignored her, feigning sleep.

"Zoro." She said again, a little louder, annoyance creeping into her voice. Still his eyes remained closed as he leaned against the circular room's wall. Her own narrowed…

"Fine." She said coolly. "I'll ask Sanji-kun to torture the Don for information."

The swordsman was up before she had even reached the trap door. "What was that?" Concealing her smirk the teen turned back to him. "Oh? I thought you were asleep?"

His face remained impassive as he looked at her and she gave up on teasing him…no one was in the mood for it anyway. "When we get there…I'll use their monitoring system to find Robin in the maze, and I want you to get the Don while we wait for the others to find her."

She almost held her breath…Though he had not had anymore moments of unchecked fury, Nami was aware that he would be unhappy with the idea of waiting while the others found her…

He didn't answer, but his eyes had narrowed slightly, making her hope he was thinking it over.

"Look…" She took a deep breath and then let it out slowly. "Luffy is too damn nice." She said bluntly. "We're all angry at this but our captain has been pretty lenient against those who have caused this problem so far…"

She already knew he was angry at that. The two had continued to avoid one another on the ship, and the navigator had come to the conclusion that Zoro was angry because Luffy had let Captain Frendin and his crew live…The swordsman had been pretty insistent after all.

"I…I have no intention of letting him know this, but while they're all out searching the maze I want to get some information from this 'Don'…and I want you to help me."

Again she held her breath. Zoro had always, _always_, followed their captain's orders…even when he didn't agree with them. Luffy hadn't yet said they weren't to do anything to the lab's boss…but that was a technicality, and she didn't know if the green haired teen would…well, would _tell_ on her or not.

She needn't have worried.

For the first time in days the faintest hint of a smile was lingering about the swordsman's mouth…and it was _not_ a nice smile…It was the kind of look that made a person want to either run away screaming, or just pass out in terror, but the copper haired woman held her ground until he agreed with her out loud.

"Right."

Assuming that was the best she'd get from him she laid out her plan.

**

* * *

The underground facility was inside a small mountain…Targe didn't know how but a large part of it had been "hollowed out" at some point in time, leaving the enormous area empty. The entrance was through an old mine, and the pirates forced the slaver through first as their guide, not trusting just his directions. Carefully their navigator mentally charted their route, so they could escape again, and after several minutes he had led them to the entrance of the hollow mountain.

From the ridge looking into the giant space the Strawhats could see the maze, as well as the main tower in the middle, which could be reached by way of mining cars. The base of the tower was very thick and there was another mining shaft running through it, the only way to reach the upper floors without the flying backpacks, which Targe told them were "rocket jet packs."

The laboratory might have had den den mushi inside every pocket of their maze but their security was extremely lacking on the route to the tower and the pirates found little to no interference as they closed in on it.

The lift inside the main tower was not overly large, so it was packed and uncomfortable as it climbed steadily higher but after only a few minutes they had reached the observation platform.

There were five guards in the room, which presented no problem for their super powered crew, and very quickly Nami had gained access to all the den den mushi in the system.

While Targe was no longer useful the navigator instructed that he be tied up and left conscious, in case something happened that she needed to know about.

Their crew waited impatiently as Nami, Usopp, and Franky fought with the control board, and after what seemed hours the three had figured out the system enough that they could begin jumping from each creature in the maze, searching for their missing nakama.

It was a moment of heart stopping horror when they found her.

Robin was collapsed against the white walls, not looking up, and while she was still breathing it was obvious she was in pain.

Sanji began swearing softly. "Where is she though?!" How were they supposed to find her in that huge labyrinth!!

"Just a second!" The copper haired woman snapped back. Her fingers trembled as she worked through the system again, and eventually she turned back to the others. "I can give you a basic direction, but I can't lead you directly there, you'll have to follow my instructions over the intercom.

"Intercom…?" Luffy moved over to the control board and she pointed it out. Before anyone could stop him the teen had picked up the microphone and shouted, "Robin?!! Can you hear me?!!"

There were several tense seconds, all their eyes glued to the monitor that held the beautiful woman, before she stirred.

They watched as she pushed herself up with shaking hands, raising her exhausted face to look right into the den den mushi.

She smiled.

"Rooooooobiiiiiiiiin!!!!!!!!!!!!" Wailing Chopper grabbed the microphone from his captain. "Robin!! We've missed you!!"

The receiver was stolen from him by Sanji. "Robin-chwan~!! Your knight in shinning armor is coming to get yoooooou~!!"

Nami snatched it away next and glared at them as if daring them to try taking it from her. "Robin…We're coming to get you right now! Don't move anywhere!!"

It didn't really look like she _could_ move but the copper haired woman didn't want her trying in any case.

"Okay guys!" She snapped at the men in the room. "You'll have to set out in one spot and then spread out into a kind of cone shape, 'cause I can't pinpoint her exactly."

"Why don't we just break the walls down?" Franky was cracking the knuckles of one huge hand against the other but the navigator shook her head firmly. "Robin's _leaning_ against one of those walls. You could really hurt her."

She looked each of them in the eye until they nodded, then continued. "If you can it'd be good to stay on top of the walls, and look for her that way…You'll be able to cover more ground like that." Taking a deep breath and faking nervousness she turned to Zoro. "You're staying here with me." She said flatly.

Just as they had agreed the swordsman glared at her angrily. "What?!" She shook her head. "You'll get lost even if you _are_ on top of the walls. Besides, what if some guards come in here?" Acting angry she glared back at him. "You are staying here with me!!" She gave an imploring look to her captain.

For a second she didn't think he'd buy it…Luffy was watching her seriously and she felt like he was looking right through her scheme but then he turned to his first mate. "We won't be able to find Robin if something happens to Nami."

That was all it took. The others made their way down to the ground level again and began their search for the archeologist. Franky, in a flash of brilliance, destroyed every wall after he searched it, giving him a clear path _back_ towards the tower, and after a few minutes the others copied him, all stretched out on their own routes.

Nami looked at the monitors again briefly.

"We gotta grab the Don and bring him back here so I _can_ direct them…"

Nodding impatiently the swordsman stood next to the smaller platform that would take them upwards. The copper haired woman keyed in the right code and the lift began moving.

**

* * *

He had crossed his arms and was glaring upwards, waiting impatiently to reach the top. His absolute rage at Robin's abduction had been festering inside him for days and he wanted to get his hands…or katanas…on the person who had done it.

The lift finally stopped, revealing a lavishly designed hallway. Uncaring of the precious paintings and decorations the swordsman continued down the hall, his gaze fixed on the double doors at the end.

His eyes narrowed and in a flash he had turned, two katana held out in a cross before him, to catch the man that had attacked from the shadowy ceiling. He was unnaturally tall and freakishly thin, with skin that looked stretched and dying on his frame. He heard Nami give a shriek of surprise but he ignored it.

He moved his right arm, swinging upwards and the skeletal man jumped backwards, his own sword slashing as he did so, but the teen brushed it aside.

Almost immediately the enemy attacked again, moving quickly his saber moving in a pattern of parries and thrusts. Whether he was hoping to catch him by surprise or by speed it didn't matter…Zoro lunged forward, one sword catching his downward stroke and shifting it to the side, off balancing them both as he thrust his second katana forward.

He jumped back again…his expression never changing in spite of nearly being skewered.

Nami had ducked down behind them and was now hovering at the edge of the teen's peripheral vision, closest to the doors.

Watching his enemy carefully the younger man placed one katana in his mouth and drew his third. He didn't have time for this…

Both swordsmen moved, their swords flashing.

The katana in his right hand and the one in his mouth caught his enemy's saber and while Zoro moved his left hand the emaciated man slipped to the side, whipping his sword forward only to be blocked again.

Clenching his teeth around the hand guard in anger he turned, his left sword moving towards the other man's face. As he had expected the thin swordsman slipped to the right and Zoro finished his turn, catching the saber and shoving both swords into the wall with his right… Releasing the hand guard on that katana the teen moved forward as his enemy tried to jump back again.

The katana in his left hand slid into the other man's chest easily.

Nami let out another little shriek as Zoro kicked his dead enemy off his katana. Impassively he wiped the sword, grabbing the one he had left in the wall; he sheathed all three and moved towards the doors.

His nakama moved out of his way, her eyes wild, but he ignored that too. He opened the door.

There was a very large, fat man sitting behind an enormous desk. He looked up, startled, and then his eyes bulged. "W-Who are you?!" He gasped. "Where is Heldig?!"

He slammed a hand onto his desk, pressing a button that Zoro assumed would call guards. Immediately the teen moved across the room, crouching on the desk he placed the edge of one sword against the fat man's throat.

"Get up." He growled.

Shaking he did as he was told, heaving his massive bulk out of the chair. "W-W-Who are you…?" He asked again. His voice was like a squeal and Zoro realized the man reminded him of a very fat pig.

"We're pirates." Nami was still very pale but her voice was strong. "You're coming with us to the monitor room, now!"

Whimpering, their enemy moved with them back through the double doors and into the hallway. When he saw the bloody corpse on the floor he let out a shrill scream and stopped. "W-What have you done?!"

The swordsman smirked…He and Nami had already agreed that however he motivated the Don was his concern…Feeling a vindictive kind of satisfaction he brought his sword up, lightning fast, and nicked the prisoner on both ears. The cuts were shallow but they were definitely going to bleed.

"Keep moving."

He did so, averting his eyes from the mess that had been his employee. The lift had been small with their entire crew crowded on it, but it seemed just as tiny being stuck inside with the overly chubby man. The swordsman marched him into the control room and Nami immediately went back to the monitors, scanning for their nakama.

"Ugh…." Shaking her head she grabbed the receiver for the intercom. "Where the hell are you guys going?!" While the navigator tried guiding them, the swordsman had directed their captive into a corner and began his own interrogation.

"Are you the Don?"

The fat man sank down to his knees, his face dripping sweat. "Y-Y-Yes." He looked up at the green haired man standing above him, who was glaring at him with a burning hatred. "You run this place right?"

When his prisoner didn't answer Zoro placed one hand on his katana…That was all it took before the Don began crying pitifully. "Yes! Yes! I run this facility!"

Glaring malevolently he leaned forward. "What did you do to Robin?" It surprised him when the fat man began screaming instead of answering; angrily he used the blunt edge of one katana to hit his captive on the head. "Shut the hell up!!" He snapped. "Tell me what you did to Robin?!"

The Don's screaming had trailed off into moans of terror. "A-Are you her….n-nakama?" He fell from his knees to his behind, trying to scoot farther from the green haired man.

Zoro's jaw clenched in annoyance, but he controlled his anger. "Yes."

The Don whimpered again, reaching up to cover his head with his hands. "H-How…?" He croaked. "How did you _find_ this place…?"

The swordsman's eyes went flat again. "I'm asking the questions…What did you do to her?"

Sensing his captor was rapidly loosing patience the fat man, shaking almost violently, began speaking. "Devil fruit users are put through a series of tests but…I was going to return her to you, I swear it!!"

The pirate shook his head. "I don't care about that…What kind of tests?"

Swallowing convulsively the fat man continued, his voice getting weaker. "Keroseki…" He whimpered. "We put keroseki on them and test their reactions…"

Nami had been listening in and now she spoke up. "Keroseki?! Don't you have any idea of how dangerous that is…?! It could kill a fruit user if they have it on for too long!!"

Zoro's eyes narrowed as the prisoner looked back and forth between the two pirates fearfully. "Yeah…" He growled softly. "He _did_ know that…It was part of your research wasn't it?" Without waiting for a response he bent down lower so he could look the boss in the eyes. "Give me the key."

Shaking so badly he could barely catch hold of it the Don did as he was told, fetching the glittering golden chain out of his neck line and giving it to the swordsman.

Behind him the navigator gasped and he turned quickly to find her staring up at the screen. Grabbing the receiver and bringing it to her mouth she spoke with obvious relief. "Come back guys!! Franky and Usopp have her!!"

He looked up at the screen too. The shipwright and sniper _did_ have her…Franky was holding the delicate woman, who had slumped down in his arms, and both pirates were giving her worried looks.

Zoro turned back to the Don who was also staring at the screen, abject terror on his face. When the others got here he would no longer be able to question his captive the way he wanted…

"What else have you done?" He snapped, regaining the other man's attention. "W-W-What…?" The fat man twitched under the teen's harsh glare. "I-I haven't done anything else…" He stuttered.

"Nothing?" When the swordsman spoke his voice was soft. "If you're lying to me…"

His threat was cut off by the door to the control room slamming open. Giving a quick look he cursed under his breath. Chopper and Luffy were back.

"Who's that…?"

Clenching his jaw again the older teen turned away from his prisoner to look his captain in the eyes. "This is the boss of this place." His fists tightened and the sudden pressure in one hand reminded him of the key, which he had all but forgotten.

"I see…" Luffy looked at the Don, an unreadable expression on his face. "Has he said anything?" Zoro walked away from the man cowering behind him. "He says he hasn't done anything, and that he was going to return Robin."

Sanji came back in, looking around quickly, and spotted the prisoner as well. "Is that him?" The cook kept his eyes trained on him as he lit a cigarette. "Nami-san…Did you two go get him?"

The copper haired woman hadn't turned from the monitors yet and she answered him absently. "Yeah…We didn't want him getting away."

The blond moved closer to the prisoner and the fat man whimpered again. "P-P-Please…!" He gasped in terror. "I didn't…I…" He moaned and began crying pitifully again.

Zoro ignored him now. He didn't care what happened to that disgusting pig…His eyes were watching the door way, waiting…

Usopp came in, still looking back at his nakama worriedly, and Franky followed him, the beautiful archeologist appeared unconscious in his arms.

The swordsman clenched his hands again, aware of how they were shaking slightly. Robin…

The blue haired man gently set her on the ground and Chopper ran over to check on her, the contents of his medical backpack knocking together audibly. "Keroseki…." The little reindeer said softly. "There's keroseki on her."

Shaking himself Zoro moved forward, kneeling next to his nakama, and pulling out the key again. "Yeah…This should unlock them." He touched her ankles first, carefully fitting the tiny key into its lock and letting the deadly stone drop away from her.

Robin shifted and he realized she was still awake…The dark haired woman was staring at the ground in a dazed way; her breathing was labored and her body was trembling.

He reached up to touch her shoulder. "Robin…" His voice was quiet. "I need to get to the one on your neck…"

She turned her face away and he thought he heard her muttering but the words she was saying didn't make any sense to him. Chopper's hands, in his human form, had reached up to move her hair away from the nape of her neck so Zoro could find the keyhole on her necklace.

"Robin…?" The doctor said quietly.

She didn't respond to him either.

Once the catch released in her necklace the green haired teen moved her by the shoulders, gently, to let her lean against the wall. He picked up one delicate wrist to release her bracelet and she giggled. Surprised, and feeling his worry mounting, Zoro looked up into her face but she had closed her eyes and was resting against the wall, looking peaceful. Trading a quick look with the doctor he removed the last of the jewelry.

Her wrists were scarred, looking almost like they had been burnt, and the swordsman couldn't help himself from tracing the angry looking lines. Robin's eyelids fluttered open and she smiled…but her eyes were far away and filled with sadness.

"Robin…?" Chopper said again. "A-Are you alright…?"

Across the room the Don's terror finally pushed him past his limit. "She won't answer you!!" His voice was a mix of fear, triumph, and insanity. "Her body may be here but you've already lost your nakama!!"

"What did you say?!" Luffy moved forward, his face filled with fury. "What did you do?!"

The fat man began sobbing and laughing at the same time. "She's gone!!" He shouted. "She's gone!!"

The pirate captain picked him up with one hand by the neck of his robe. "What. Did. You. Do?!!" He almost snarled into the older man's face. Sanji and Franky had joined him, looming over the trapped man, but he didn't seem to notice.

"Her amygdalae." The Don's head wobbled on his fat neck as the rubber man shook him. "It's gone, gone, gone…!! We took it away!!"

Though this didn't make sense to anyone else Chopper had risen to his feet, a look of horror on his face. "What…?!" The zoan fruit user's eyes had widened, his own breath coming shallowly. "What did you say…?!"

The absolute revulsion in his voice stopped them all, and there was silence except for the prisoner's insane chuckles. "You…!" But the Don, with a maniacal grin on his face, had turned to look at the young doctor. "We took out her amygdalae." His voice suddenly sounded reasonable again. "She's completely gone."

Between one second and the next the reindeer attacked wildly, hitting the fat old man in the face, and shouting unintelligibly with rage. Sanji dragged him off again, yelling his name. "Chopper!!"

Even with his nose bleeding the Don smiled at the shocked and worried pirate crew. "Gone…" He muttered softly. "Gone…Gone…Gone…"

"Chopper!!" Luffy dropped their captive onto the cold floor, where he continued whispering to himself, and moved over to the cook and doctor. "Chopper!!" He shouted again. "What's wrong?!"

The reindeer's eyes were filled with tears and he didn't seem to hear his captain. "You…!! How _could_ you..?!" He cried.

"What is it?!" Nami's voice was filled with terror. "What's wrong with her?!"

"She's…." The youngest member of the crew began sobbing, his struggles weakening, and finally he fell to his knees at Sanji and Luffy's feet. "You don't understand…!"

Usopp moved forward to kneel next to the distraught reindeer. "Well tell us…!" His tone reflected his own panic. "You can save her, right…?! 'Cause…She's right here Chopper! You can fix whatever he did can't you…?!"

He shrunk down to his normal form, his body shaking and his voice raw with emotion. "You don't understand!" Chopper shouted again with tears running through his fur. "Robin's lost her mind! She's literally been driven insane!"

* * *

**Important AN:** I'm not sure how many of you have ever seen the tv show Firefly but I want to point out that the idea of removing her amygdalae comes from that show, in fact, I got the entire idea for this from that show. :P To give you a basic rundown: there is a super genius girl, (River is so awesome!!!) that is taken by 'the academy' and experimented on in an attempt to make a super assassin, her brother saves her and the entire series (13 episodes) is spent with him trying to help her in some way. So a lot of this will be based off that.

I would also like to thank Tare-chan for giving me a medical rundown of the brain and what it would do to her. Thanks to Tare-chan I known that it's kinda impossible in actuality to take out the amygdalae, but I claim Author's privileges so...:P Just want to let you know that I'm aware of the impossibility of this actually happening...but it's in the One Piece world and they do all sorts of impossible things. :P

Thanks again for reviewing! I am aiming to improve so your comments are especially appreciated. :)

* * *

This isn't important for the story but I wanted to get some opinions; My husband challenged me on the assumption that one day Robin and Zoro could potentially get married, his basis being that Zoro isn't "the marrying type." So I wrote a story (actually it's just one chapter in a much longer, probably never to be finished story) that depicts how that could _possibly_ happen...But since my husband won't read any of my stuff I still don't know...So my question is: If I posted it would you be willing to give me an honest opinion on the likelihood of the situation? 'Cause otherwise my sweet hubby and I will never settle our debate. xD Anyways...this is only for my curiosity's sake, so please don't feel obligated to say you're interested if you're not. I just don't know where else to get someone's opinion who actually knows the characters. :P


	10. The Strawhats clean up after themselves

**AN:** Bah! To hell with their canoes!! Sorry my inspiration totally crashed and died on me. :(

The amygdalae, for the purpose of this story at least, is what separates the conscious and unconscious mind. I try to explain it in the story but I just want to make the meaning I'm using it for clear. Robin hasn't gone insane because of the pressure put on her mind or body, it's because she's suddenly lost that filter. Hopefully that answers some of your questions, and the other parts will be made clearer in time.

**This is for everybody who reviewed that I couldn't respond to:**

**Onamakiza0**: Rofl-sauce. There are times when I really want to say that to people but I never do because I'm sure they'll take it the wrong way and consider me a stalker or something. xD So don't worry about it, I get what you mean. :P

**Good taste**: Aww, you're sweet, thank you!

**Jimmy crack corn**: Sorry!! I know my updating-ness is suck right now, but I am trying...If you die before the next chapter gets done I'll go to your funeral though. :P I am really appreciative though, thanks a lot. :) And I love your name. :P

**Billy Madison**: Thanks! I'm not planning on stopping just can't get my head to move correctly. :(

**Ihyflifif**: (your name confused me~!! xD) But thank you. I'm really glad you're liking it. :)

I do not own One Piece, neither do I own the concept of insanity from the amygdalae. Both belong to people who are far more creative than me.

* * *

There was complete silence.

Even the Don's insane cackling had stopped, and instead he was watching them with a vindictive kind of enjoyment. Chopper sank down to his knees completely, his crying the loudest sound in the suddenly quiet room.

"W-What…?" Nami's voice was barely a whisper, but it was still clearly audible. "What are you saying…?"

The young doctor suddenly stumbled back to his feet, running back across the small room to grab the archeologist's arms. "Robin!!" His voice was filled with panic. "Robin!! Please say something!!"

The dark haired woman reached out and touched both sides of his fury face. "..." Her voice was soft when she spoke. "There are too many pieces as it is..." Then she smiled sadly. "They're all trying to outshine each other, what's the best? Which one wins?"

Again the Strawhats could only stare at their nakama in confused horror. "What…" Sanji swallowed hard. "What are you saying Robin-chwan…?"

The Don abruptly began laughing again, redirecting their attention. "You…!!" Luffy picked him up again. "What's happened to her?!"

Chopper reached up to remove her cold fingers from his face and she let him, allowing her hands to drop back into her lap.

"The amygdalae…" The small reindeer raised his voice so they could all hear him. "Acts as a filter in the brain." Shaking he stood again and then turned to look out at his companions. "It separates your conscious and unconscious mind…"

"What does that _mean_ though?!" Usopp suddenly snapped.

"I'm trying to tell you!!" The doctor snapped back. "You know when you want to push something to the back of your mind? The amygdalae is what allows you to do that. Without one a person feels _everything_, _all the time_." He took in a deep breath and then continued, his voice strained but trying to be steady. "In addition to being unable to block out emotions, the line between conscious and unconscious is gone. She's unable to block out her own thoughts."

"Why would Miss Robin want to block out her own thoughts?" Brook's voice was almost a whisper as well. Chopper shook his head. "Well…not block out her own thoughts it's more like…"

He was cut off as Robin leaned forward suddenly and grabbed Zoro's forearm. The swordsman had not moved from his kneeling position on the floor after he had freed her from the keroseki. "Don't leave me here!!" She cried out in a panic. "Please, please…" She whispered. "Don't leave me here…!!" Her face dropped onto her own arm and her shoulders shook.

The green haired man continued to stare blankly above her head. Nami turned suddenly and slammed her hands against the panel board. She didn't speak but her shoulders also began shaking as she cried silently. The others stood in silence, not knowing what to do or say, but Chopper and the Don were both staring at the archeologist in shock.

"T-That's not possible…" The fat man's voice suddenly broke through the silence. "It's impossible!!!"

The tiny doctor turned back to her, a wild hope on his face. "Robin…? A-Are you okay? Can you understand me?" Ignoring the looks his other nakama was giving him the reindeer continued trying to get her attention. "Robin…If you can hear me give us some kind of sign…Please!!"

Slowly she raised her head but her gaze went past the desperate child until she was looking directly at the Don. Her fingers, which were still holding the swordsman's arm, twitched convulsively but her eyes didn't waver. "I told you…" Her voice was rough and exhausted, but clear. "I told you they were coming to get me…"

Anything else she might have said was drown out by their prisoner's screams, which could only be described as terrified. As the fat man continued to scream Chopper grabbed her hands, trying to pull her attention to him. "Robin!" He said again.

She released Zoro and her eyes did turn back to the doctor but any sign of lucidity had faded. Once again she gave him that sad smile and spoke nonsensical words to him in a soothing tone. "Little ants marching everywhere and on everyone; they won't stop...They won't stop..."

"What just happened?" Franky crouched down next to Usopp and was looking back and forth between the doctor and archeologist. "What is it?"

"Shut up!!!" Across the room Sanji's leg snapped out, connecting with the back of the captive's head, making his horrified screams stop, and knocking him unconscious immediately.

Chopper's breathing was too fast but he was looking at the dark haired woman with hope. "He's right…It shouldn't have been possible for her to…" The doctor spoke aloud but his words were to himself.

Luffy moved across the room to kneel next to his nakama already on the floor. "Chopper…What happened, and is it good?"

The small zoan fruit user looked up at his captain, his eyes wide and hopeful. "Yeah, she…" He cleared his throat and when he spoke again it was in a "doctor" tone. "Without her amygdalae Robin shouldn't have been able to form a coherent thought, let alone one that applies to the situation…But she did. Twice." He reached out to touch her arm again but the dark haired pirate was looking the other way, distracted, and didn't seem to notice. "Once when she asked that we not leave her here, and once when she told the Don we were coming to save her…Somehow," He swallowed in excitement and when he spoke again his tone revealed his child-like optimism. "Somehow Robin isn't completely insane. There's some shred of lucidity left in her…If we can bring it out…" But then he stopped, the delighted look in his eyes dimming. "I-I don't know if even that would do any good…There's never been any kind of recorded case like this before…I…It's amazing that she's even still alive…"

There was another moment of quiet while the Strawhat's tried to process the situation they found themselves in. "…But it _is_ a good thing…?" Luffy finally asked in a quiet voice, to which the doctor nodded decisively. "Yes…It's a very good thing."

"Well…" Usopp said quietly his eyes still on the dark haired woman. "What do we do now…?"

Luffy stood again. He watched Robin for a few seconds more but the archeologist seemed to be ignoring them all, and he finally turned back to look at the room. "Franky, Chopper, Nami…I want you to take Robin back to the ship…" The teen turned his head to look out the door and at the endless maze. "We're going to…tear this down." His voice was quiet but dead serious as the rubber man reached up to crack his knuckles.

Nodding grimly the mechanic reached down to pick her up again and then paused when she began looking around wildly. "T-There's too much noise!" Her voice was breathy and panicked. "Please…!" She reached out and grabbed Zoro's arm again, since he was the closest person to her. "Please be quiet! I can't…"

The green haired man's eyes were lowered to the floor and no one could see the look on his face as he slowly reached for her hand and pulled it off of him then let it drop, without a word.

Franky carefully scooped her up into his arms again and the lovely pirate took in a deep, shaky breath before wrapping her arms around the older man's neck and leaning against him. She didn't move or speak again.

"We'll get her back; you guys just take care of this place." Franky nodded at the room and then moved towards the elevator, followed by Chopper and a shaky Nami.

*

* * *

Usopp continued to stare after them for a few moments more before a shuffling noise caught his attention. Targe, who they had forgotten all about, was still tied up and gagged; the shuffling sound was made as he tried to scoot further into the shadows and away from the pirates.

Luffy ignored him as he moved towards the door to the outside platform. Sanji flicked his cigarette at the bound man contemptuously before following his captain. Across the room the swordsman stood. With a blank face he followed them, not even bothering to spare a glance at the slaver. The two remaining pirates stood for a moment indecisively before Brook went to the door. "I'm very glad to help in this endeavor." He motioned to the maze they were about to tear apart. Then the skeleton stepped out the door, leaving the sniper alone.

Even if the sounds of destruction were muffled the dark haired teen could tell the maze was being ripped apart as the screens on the wall began to blink out, one by one. Slowly he also moved towards the door, but turned back to look at Targe. "I don't know what's going to happen to you…"

The tied up man gave him a pleading look as the gag prevented him from speaking. Never before in the young pirate's life had he felt such indifference for another human being. He had never killed another person, and he didn't want to start now, but the sniper needed only to think of Robin's frightened mutterings in the maze before he made his decision. "I don't know what's going to happen to you…" He said again. "But I know that you deserve it."

He turned and walked away, unable to block out the doomed man's muffled cries, with his back straight and his face hard. Besides everything that Robin had to go through, and besides the long difficult days ahead, something terrible had just happened. A part of the sniper shriveled inside him, but another part; one that was small but never failed him, swelled. Just like before when he and Carue had attacked Mr. 3 and the candle cake…and when he had fought with Miss Merry Christmas…The courage to _act_ compelled him. Was leaving them there to die cruel? Yes. But it was just something he _had_ to do.

Lifting his head proudly the pirate followed his nakama onto the platform, prepared to destroy the entire facility. From his vantage point he could observe the others. Luffy and Sanji were already far away, leaving a wake of total destruction behind them. Brook was still fairly close to the tower's base; systematically destroying each wall, thoroughly crushing one before moving on to the next in a spiral shaped pattern.

Zoro…

The older teen was at the tower's base as well. He looked up, his face still impassive, and the sniper knew he was waiting for them all to leave before going back in. It would be possible for the Don and Targe to survive the collapse of the central tower…it would _not_ be possible for them to survive whatever the green haired man had in mind.

Nodding silently at him Usopp pulled out his great pachinko, walked around the tower and began shooting his super powered bullets into the maze on that side. As a sniper he would do more damage higher up and Zoro knew that, but he was willing to give his nakama the privacy he wanted to commit his dreadful deed.

*

* * *

The pirate watched as Usopp walked to the opposite side of the tower…it seemed he had underestimated the younger man. He thought the boisterous liar would interfere with what he planned, but the other teen had given him the go ahead, even knowing his intentions.

Not that he needed anyone's permission to do what he was about to do.

Grimly the swordsman took the elevator back up to the monitor room. The guards were all still unconscious, Targe was still gagged and bound, and…He smirked darkly…the Don was waking up. Perfect timing.

When the slaver saw him he began squirming violently, screaming behind the block in his mouth. He would take care of that in a minute…first was the man who was in charge.

He continued to stir, moving his obese body sluggishly as he woke up, trying to comprehend where he was and what had happened. Zoro waited, impatient on the inside but impassive on the outside. He didn't want the fat man to faint again, so he waited with arms crossed as he watched him struggle to rise. "Wha..? What happened here…?"

Not noticing the pirate, (which suited him just fine,) the Don heaved his heavy bulk up, standing unsteadily, and looking around wildly. "What happened…?!" He squealed again as he looked at the wall of monitors. At least a third of them were down already, and more continued to blink out as the walls and the small creatures attached to them were destroyed.

Targe's muted screams finally attracted his attention and he looked at the prisoner in astonishment. "Targe…!! What in the world are _you_ doing here?! And what the hell is going on?!" Impatiently he began tottering forward, determined to remove the gag and get some answers, but stopped with a shriek of horror as a gust of wind passed him; the other man twitched as blood suddenly burst out of multiple cuts on his body and the slaver's head rolled from his shoulders.

He stared wordlessly at the headless corpse that had slumped to the ground and then began screaming in panic, looking around wildly, and gasping for air in shock.

Grimly Zoro stepped out of the shadows; the fat man's eyes zeroing in on him. Very deliberately he sheathed the katana he had just used to execute his captive then folded his arms across his chest, his eyes never leaving the overweight man's face.

The Don might have tried running, or continue screaming, or done _something_ but he only stood there; petrified.

Briefly the pirate entertained the notion of toying with him but quickly discarded it. No matter how _satisfying_ it might be to taunt him, he passed on it. Answers were more important now.

"Is there a way to fix it?" He spoke bluntly, in a brutal tone of voice to convey his impatience. "Is there a way to undo what you did to her?"

Stiffly the older man shook his head and the swordsman clenched one hand on his katana's hilt. "Speak." He demanded coldly.

"T-There…" The fat man gulped for air. "There is no way to reverse the process, it's never been done anywhere but here and there was never a need to undo it."

His jaw tightened but he didn't allow himself to move. "Chopper was interrupted before…What exactly did you do?"

He spoke without prompting this time; his voice hollow, as if he had given up. "The amygdalae separates the conscious and unconscious mind. Without it a person is unable to stop their feelings, or their thoughts…With no way to block anything they are soon overrun by their own minds, hence they go insane. The more intelligent a person is the faster it will happen…" He trailed off and Zoro could almost see his thoughts as he remembered her words to him.

"How was Robin able to talk to us like that? Chopper said she shouldn't be able to."

Helplessly he shook his head, the fear creeping back over his features, his eyes far away as he pictured the dark haired pirate. "I don't know…It should be completely impossible…Especially for one of her intellect. Being able to form sentences should be beyond her…" The fat man suddenly shuddered and sank back onto the floor, his body unable to stand the strain. "It's impossible…" He whispered again. Though his fear was still evident on his features his voice held a note of shocked awe.

The younger man uncrossed his arms again and stalked forward. The Don didn't even seem to notice until the swordsman grabbed a handful of his hair and yanked his head back so they were eye to eye.

All the fury, the pent up rage that he had been unable to express for days was back, and the swordsman wanted nothing more than to make the man below him _hurt_, but if Luffy came back he would put an end to things and Zoro wasn't sure what he would do if his merciful captain interfered again.

"I want you to know…" His voice was quiet, all his anger tightly controlled in his tone. "That I want you to _suffer_. I would like to take a lot of time, days or weeks maybe, to repay you for what you did to her. But I'd rather lose that and know for a fact you're dead, than torture you now and know that you were allowed to live later."

Roughly he pulled the man's head back further; the prisoner's eyes showing his absolute terror as he gibbered, and the pirate's eyes smoldering with hatred.

It was with a sense of vindictive justice that he beheaded the Don.

He dropped the corpse and walked back out to the platform without looking back. There was still plenty of the cursed maze to destroy.

* * *

**AN: **Firstly, Robin is going to end up being OOC...there's just no way to get around that. :( I'll try and at least portray some of her thoughts so you'll get a better idea of _why_ she acts/talks the way she does.

Usopp...I freaking love him, and I love how whenever something _really_ important is happening you know you can count on him...He's so shiny! So yes. It isn't much like him to walk away from a person that he knows is gonna die...but I think it's the right thing to do. :(

And lastly...Zoro. -_- He is so freaking hard to write, have I mentioned that? Again, I'm trying to keep him more in character, but at the same time keep his thoughts/actions running with the scenario he's in...It's an incredibly fine line to balance on, so blah...All I can really say is that I'm trying, and I love suggestions. :) ...Er...I should also probably address his um...callousness at the end. Again, there is the situation to consider, but I'd like to point out that he has so far not gotten to hurt a _single_ one of the people responsible for her abduction. After ten freaking days I'd be after blood too. :( Also, for those who thought his killing of people was a bit much, Zoro is the only one of the Strawhats that we _know_ has already killed someone. (The Baroque Works agent who tried to recruit him...I don't remember which number but I think it was Mr. 7.) Though really I suspect Robin has too...considering everything she's been through...But that's a discussion for another time!! xD


	11. Chopper tells them what he knows

**AN: **Meh, I'm still not completely satisfied with this chapter. (Mostly due to Zoro...damn him! He is so hard to write!! Grr...) but I was just feeling so bad about leaving you guys hanging for so long! Sorry!!! I feel a little better about the next few chapters, this one was a big stumbling block for me, so hopefully I'll get those out a little faster than it took for this one. :(

I do not own One Piece.

* * *

They were all sitting at the dinning room table, watching as Chopper attended to Robin. The dark haired woman was sitting quietly as the doctor took a sample of her blood. It appeared she hadn't even noticed as her face was turned away, looking into the kitchen.

Franky split his attention between the woman he had just helped rescue and the swordsman who was leaning against the back wall with arms folded, a blank look on his face. He had hoped they would be able to rescue her so things would go back to normal, but now…

The mechanic sighed gloomily. How was anything going to be normal again?

On the way back to their ship Robin had continued to hold onto his shoulders, her body stiff and straight, and periodically little whimpers would escape her throat. He thought he knew what might have caused it…

Chopper had said that she was unable to block her own feelings...She felt everything, all the time…And out of all the Strawhat pirates Franky was the one who had seen her absolute terror on the bridge of hesitation. If he was right than she was probably reliving the horror of the buster call all over again, with no way to shut it out…

"Robin-chwan…?"

He was distracted from his thoughts by the cook.

Sanji was also watching their doctor, his face reflecting none of the hopelessness they were all feeling. "Would you like me to make you a cup of coffee?" He asked gently.

The archeologist had turned to face him when he spoke, a dazed and somewhat confused look on her face. Uncertainly she nodded, though the blue haired man privately doubted she was aware of what he was asking, and the cook immediately moved into the kitchen to make her favorite drink.

The others remained quiet…what was there to say?...and eventually the blond gently set the steaming cup in front of her. Chopper had finished whatever it was he had been doing, and was now pushing things into his small medical bag, his own face drawn and upset.

Robin stared down at the cup of coffee silently.

"Er…Robin-chwan…?" Before Sanji was able to speak again the small doctor shifted into his human form and took the dark woman's hands. Wrapping them around the warm mug he lifted it for her. "Like this Robin…remember?"

Across the table Nami turned her face away, silent tears dripping down her face. Usopp and Brook both dropped their gazes to the table, the others showed no reaction.

'_She can't remember how to hold a cup…?'_ Uncomfortable, Franky also looked down at the table. The doctor was the only one who understood the extent of what had happened to their lovely nakama, but the more the shipwright saw the more horrified he was. '_How can someone do this to another person?'_

"Guys…" The zoan fruit user's sad voice forced them all to re-concentrate on him. He was still in his human form as he sat next to her; she was drinking the warm beverage by herself now, her eyes closed and her face almost peaceful.

"How bad is it Chopper?" Their teenage captain's voice was still serious, he didn't think the skinny pirate had ever been serious for _this_ long before, but there was no more anger in his tone. True to his nature Strawhat Luffy had forgiven his enemies as soon as he had dealt with them…Not that there was anything left of them to forgive, if his assumption was correct. He couldn't imagine Zoro letting the Don go after all he had done…

The little doctor cleared his throat and they re-focused on him again. "Her body has keroseki poisoning…it's not as bad as it could be, but it's bad enough…I'm going to have to get some special medicine to treat it…"

Robin set her empty cup on the table and then looked around at them all. Her eyes were so calm and her face so peaceful she looked almost normal…the only thing missing was the spark of recognition in her eye…She might as well be looking at a group of complete strangers.

Chopper swallowed but continued quietly. "W-Without her amygdalae she…" He paused, a frustrated look on his fury face. "She can't…"

"Concentrate."

Startled he, as well as the others, gave the dark haired woman surprised looks. "What was that Robin?" Shifting back to normal the small reindeer was able to stand on the table directly in front of her, waving at the others to keep them quiet. "What did you say?"

The archeologist was looking right through him, and when she spoke it didn't seem she was speaking to anyone in the room at all.

"There are too many bits and pieces that don't fit…And without the straight lines who can pull them all together…?" She sighed, her own gaze dropped to the table, and said mournfully, "Most of the pieces aren't even mine…"

Franky glanced around quickly but the others, (minus Zoro who hadn't even moved) were looking as mystified as he was feeling.

"What pieces?" Luffy leaned forward, ignoring Chopper's look, and poked her arm. "Oi Robin…Pieces of what?"

She looked at the arm that had stretched half the length of the table to prod at her. Seeming confused as to what it was she grabbed the rubber man's wrist, studying it intently. "Linear process…" She mumbled.

When it became clear she wasn't going to speak again, (and she did not release their captain's arm) Chopper turned to look at the rest of the crew.

"Normally people are able to follow one line of thought until it's through." He began. "Without the barrier to keep the other thoughts in place they end up being everywhere…Robin is so smart and she knows so much, that her thoughts, which are probably moving around in her head every which way, are what's driving her…" He choked on the word, then took a deep breath to continue. "Back there she was somehow able to keep her mind straight enough to speak to both us and the Don, which is why I believe there has to be some way to help her concentrate again."

"Why couldn't she pick up the cup…?" Usopp's face was turned back down and he was absently picking at a mark in the table. The thought had been on many of their minds but it seemed to really be bothering the sniper.

"She didn't…." Chopper adjusted his hat thoughtfully. "I-I'm guessing that she didn't remember how…"

"Why…?" This time is was Brook who spoke up, though his voice was still soft. "Why would she be unable to remember that?"

The reindeer shook his head, frustration written all over his face. "That's not exactly it either….It's more like…Our brains control our body's movement. If you want to pick something up your brain sends that signal and the muscles needed to do it respond…In Robin's case…" He looked back at her, and she, seeming to sense his gaze, looked up to meet his eyes. "Her brain doesn't tell her body to do things anymore, because the barrier that separates the two parts is gone…Anything that she wants to do; she has to _think_ about it…"

Franky found himself nodding slowly. So not only was she unable to stop thoughts and feelings, her body no longer followed the routine automatically…

Nami's quick intake of air made his head turn sharply. The navigator was looking at Chopper with a mixture of horror and shock. "Anything she wants to do…._Anything_?!"

Though the shipwright didn't understand what she was thinking the reindeer seemed to catch on. Dolefully he nodded. "I-I think so…"

"Nami-san…What are you thinking…?" Sanji's eyes were still on Robin but she answered him anyway. "Anything…She has to think about blinking, about breathing, about keeping her heart beating…!!" The woman choked off as her words sunk in, the true horror of it dawned on them. If she stopped thinking about those small motor functions she could die…she could suffocate because she forgot to _breathe_!!

"H-Horrible…." The living skeleton's words were loud in the stunned silence. "How can someone do that to another human being…?!"

Having his own thoughts spoken aloud Franky nodded. "How can anyone _live_ like that…?" He said as well.

"I…" Chopper adjusted his hat and it suddenly occurred to the shipwright how tired the little reindeer must be. "I don't know for sure…I…No one has ever done something like this before that I know of…"

"No one else…" Again Franky's attention was diverted to the dark haired woman who continued to study their captain's stretchable arm. "No one else has ever done it before."

She looked up at the group again, her face serious. "Did you know that if you took a minute to destroy each bone in the human body than, on average, you could break a person into 6,180 pieces?"

After saying this she dropped Luffy's arm, which immediately snapped back into place, and stood; taking her coffee cup to the kitchen sink and washing it calmly as half of them stared after her.

Unaware of her crew's scrutiny Robin picked up the towel, dried the now clean cup, and set it back in its cupboard.

Chopper coughed and the group looked back at him. "Since we don't know what happened I'm just…I'm just going to have to try and work with her for a while…most importantly we need to get the medicine to treat the keroseki poisoning…" The little reindeer looked at her worriedly. "She's holding up really well but it's weakening her…" His voice dropped to a low murmur, as if he was talking more to himself than the rest of them. "After that…after that I don't know…"

Sanji leaned down to touch the young doctor on the shoulder gently. "What can we do to help in the mean time?"

The child looked up at the blond gratefully. "We just…we should all keep an eye on her." He looked around again, his little face even more drawn and tired. "Talk to her, see if you can get her to talk to you, and…" Dropping his voice again he nearly whispered, "Make sure she doesn't do anything to hurt herself…"

There was a scraping sound of wood against wood as their captain stood, immediately gaining everyone's attention. "We'll do whatever we have to…At the next island we'll find medicine, and you'll be able to help her." His voice was resolute and the shipwright knew it would do no good to argue that they didn't _know_ if they could help her. "What's our next stop?"

His last question was directed at the navigator who stood herself, looking weary as she laid out the map she had taken from Targe. "Paquinn." She said quietly. "We'll be there tomorrow afternoon."

The other teen nodded and then smiled. "It'll all work out somehow." He said cheerfully and then he left the room, signaling the end of their meeting.

Zoro was the next to leave, having not said a single word since their return from the research lab, and having not looked anyone in the eye either.

Franky stood slowly, watching the others as Nami re-gathered her map and left the dinning room quietly. Sanji moved over to the kitchen sink where Robin was still standing. "Robin-chwan? What would you like for dinner?" The cook was obviously trying to sound upbeat but it was coming out as flat.

"So much…" The archeologist sighed deeply and then moved past him gracefully. "And everyone just keeps lying, because they don't want anyone else to know…"

Brook stood and moved over to the piano Franky had built into the dinning room's wall, beginning to play a sweet melody that immediately attracted the woman's attention. "Lovely." She murmured softly. Ignoring the others in the room she sat at the table again, her eyes closed as she listened to the soft music.

From the corner of his eye the mechanic saw Usopp leaving, the teen's shoulders were slumped, his hands in his pockets, as he moved out the door dejectedly.

Sanji had taken her dismissal of him in stride and the cook had already turned to his kitchen counter, probably planning his newest meal.

Chopper sighed too but stayed close to his preoccupied nakama and after a moment Franky also moved to leave. There was a sort of helplessness permeating the air, and though he wished he could do something to be useful the heaviness of the feeling made him want to hide in the engine room.

Trying to disguise his own misery he too left the kitchen, the haunting notes from the piano following him.

* * *

The green haired swordsman lay in his hammock, staring up at the beamed ceiling blankly. Though it was only late afternoon he had deserted his training for the day…too many people knew where to find him, since he always trained in the crow's nest, and he didn't want to see or speak to anyone…

He rested his head on his arms, wishing he could keep his mind as void of thought as his face. But his thoughts continued to churn in an endless cycle of self recrimination, frustrated worry, and now helplessness…He hated it…

If anyone else had been taken away and had such horrible things done to them he would have been able to deal with it normally. He would be stoic but still be able to help his crew by being the driving force behind them, like he had so many times before.

But Robin…

There was a sick feeling inside him. She was hurt and there was no way to help her…Chopper might be optimistic but her…He cringed to even think the word but,…her _insane _babbling spoke more than words. Robin had been broken in a way that couldn't be fixed…and he had failed her. He had told himself he would save her no matter what and his failure to do so was eating at him.

The swordsman had closed his eyes but had to open them again when his mind conjured up a picture of her, smiling in that cheerful and mysterious way that drove him crazy. He swallowed harshly.

What….was he supposed to do now…?

He didn't know what to do or what to say. He was helpless and he hated it…Even the thought of going near her made him want to cringe. Unable to be of any use…what good was he…?

Zoro breathed deeply as his self loathing rose again. He knew that wallowing in misery did nothing for him but, his depression was so severe he almost didn't even care…The idea of pushing on like normal, like nothing was wrong the way Luffy was doing, made him angry. And yet, what else could he do…? Eat, sleep, and train. Giving in to his despair would only make him that much weaker…

It wasn't as though he had had much contact with the archeologist before anyway…he had been semi avoiding her for weeks now…ever since he had figured himself out. So even if she was perfectly fine he wouldn't have the chance to talk to her…

He was cut off from her entirely, with no one but himself to blame.

The teen sighed and closed his eyes again miserably. It wasn't like he could be of any help even if he was near her anyway…He was no doctor…no psychiatrist…He wasn't even good with words at the best of times so what help would he be now? None.

But that didn't make the idea of staying away from her any better.

The swordsman looked up at the ceiling again…he was completely useless in helping her and he hated it…

* * *

**AN:** I would like to point out that Chopper is having to _guess_ on some of these things, since he's never encountered this before. I'll try and make everything a little clearer but I just want you to know that not everything they hypothesis in the beginning is correct. :P

Also, about how many pieces a person can be broken into...I admit that I am very, _very_ bad at math so that's the closest calculation I can make. I'm guessing it's wrong but math and I=no.

Again, I'm not really satisfied with how Zoro's thoughts turned out. I mean, he's depressed, obviously, and I wanted to show that but...I dunno. I just don't feel like it fits in really well. But I have to stop avoiding his view point since he's one of the two main characters. xD Speaking of that though...either next chapter or the one after will at least partially be from Robin's pov. It was surprisingly fun to write. :P


	12. Music soothes the soul

**AN: **Okay, first I must apologize! I'm sooo sorry it's taken me this long to update. First there was my new sectional, and then there was packing, and now I'm in Alaska! (And zomg, when I got here I was helping with my sister's dance recital, she's the teacher not the student :p, and just AAAAAGGGGGHHHHH! I thought I was gonna die. )

Anyways though, back to the update! I'm sorry it's taken me so long, and I apologize to those who have reviewed that I didn't reply to. I usually like to reply but I've been so busy and now I don't remember who I've answered and who I haven't. xD But I am very, very thankful~! Reviews totally cheer me up whenever I'm all "Grr!" so thank you very much.

As I promised this begins with Robin's pov. :) Hopefully it'll shed a little light on how her brain is working now. If anybody has any questions though they can review or pm me and I promise to get back to them this time! Hope you all enjoy. :D

* * *

She got up early; showered, dressed herself, and then walked onto the manicured lawn. The morning air was brisk and chilly but Robin filled her lungs. The air was so clean…

The dark haired archeologist sat on the bench surrounding the ship's mast and looked out at the horizon that was slowly lightening. It was quiet, something she desperately needed…

Taking in another lung full of the fresh morning air Robin closed her eyes and tried to think.

It was hard…much harder than it had ever been before, though she was only dimly aware of that fact. She began by remembering where she was…home. She was at home, and her family had saved her, but from what?

Reaching this point in her thoughts Robin was suddenly distracted by a fly crawling across the back of her hand. Unconsciously she opened her eyes again and focused on the insect, her mind switching tracks in mid-thought. She didn't really like flies…most insects had some sort of point but there wasn't really anything useful that flies did…except feed spiders. Spiders didn't bother her, though she knew Nami was afraid of them…

Once again she was sidetracked from her line of thought, this time by the opening of a door. It was from the other side of the mast so she couldn't see who was awake, though something told her it was Sanji. There was the smallest sound, like a match being struck, and Robin smiled slightly. Moving quietly she stood and moved around the mast to see her nakama.

He had stopped outside the door and was lighting a cigarette, but paused in surprise when he saw her.

"Robin-chwan?"

"Good morning." She greeted him. Again the blond paused; his eyes widening as he inhaled in shock, then began coughing from the smoke. "You…" He swallowed and then stopped, looking uncertain.

Robin tilted her head to the side in confusion. What was wrong with him…?

He recovered quickly and moved towards her, an enormous smile breaking out on his face. "Are you okay?" His question was full of concern and not what she had been expecting…though as that thought occurred to her she frowned, she didn't even know what she _had_ been expecting…And why was she expecting something from him in the first place…?

While her mind pondered the question a mysterious smile lit her face without her knowing it and her response was honed from years of hiding. "Of course I'm all right Cook-san…Why wouldn't I be?"

Sanji's face reflected a second of his own confusion before it cleared. "Nothing Robin-chwan, nothing. Would you like some coffee?" He stopped next to her, holding out one arm like the gentleman he was. Robin's smile changed to a more affectionate one as she took it. "That would be very nice, Cook-san. Thank you."

The young man escorted her into the dinning room and she sat at the table while the master chef went to the cupboard to fetch a cup. As he prepared her favorite beverage the dark haired woman looked around, feeling suddenly bewildered. "T-This isn't the Going Merry…" The words had left her mouth before she could stop them…another first for her. But since the blond had turned to look at her she finished the thought. "Where are we?"

Sanji's hand was shaking; her eyes focusing in on the small movement and again her thoughts shifted. "You fight with your legs so you won't injure your hands, correct?" She didn't know much about the Strawhats and she was eager to take advantage of the situation to dig for more information.

"Robin-chwan…" The cook's voice trailed off but Robin didn't notice. For some reason she couldn't remember…wasn't he from East Blue? Why was he all the way on the other side of the world in West Blue…?

The door opened again and the navigator came rushing in, her hair still messy from sleep but her eyes wild. "Robin…!" The younger woman took in a deep breath of air. "You…I…." Nami's hands were also shaking…were they cold perhaps? The archeologist frowned thoughtfully, _she_ didn't feel cold…

"I didn't know where you had gone…" The younger woman exchanged a quick look with the other teen, though Robin didn't notice it. "Is that so strange?" She murmured quietly. She didn't like the idea of any of them keeping tabs on her whereabouts…it wasn't as though she would be staying with them for long…

"Ah…no." Hesitantly she moved closer to the table, one hand running through her coppery locks in a useless attempt to flatten them. "I just thought…" The navigator was interrupted as the sniper stumbled in, looking tired. Another man entered behind the teen and Robin froze up.

Wasn't she supposed to know him…? The man was much taller than the others, with blue hair rising in a wave, only wearing a floral patterned shirt that was open and a pair of sea water panties. For some reason he gave her the chills.

Nami had turned to greet them both but the words were lost to the archeologist. Her mind's eye was suddenly crowded with the image of that man standing on a stone bridge, an island burning behind him. She swallowed hard. Death, destruction, chaos, mayhem…all these words rushed through her mind before the final dreaded words…The Buster Call…

The others were looking at her; somehow she was pressed against the back wall, her breath coming faster and burning her lungs. Long-nose-kun moved towards her but she shifted against the wall, keeping the same distance. "Robin…?"

The big man was also staring. "Hey," He was speaking to her. "Are you alright?"

Robin shivered. What was happening? Why couldn't she react?

Cook-san tried to come to her rescue. "Robin-chwan, it's alright. What's bothering you?"

Icy blue eyes flashed around the room, taking in every person's position…if she was fast enough she could get to the door…As soon as the thought occurred her body was moving. The dark haired pirate _did_ make it to the door, but her efforts to escape were thwarted as the Strawhat's swordsman entered at the same time.

It was like running into a wall. Her raven hair fell into her eyes as she began to drop backwards; but was stopped when the younger man grabbed her arms.

Robin took in a deep breath, her hands automatically grabbing his forearms as he halted her fall. She suddenly felt so dizzy but…without releasing her nakama she looked back into the dinning room. Sanji, Nami, Usopp, and Franky were staring at her in shock. Why hadn't she recognized their shipwright…?

Zoro released her arms; bringing her attention back to him. Her own hands remained on his arms as she looked him in the eye. There was something critically important happening…something she _should_ be noticing but wasn't.

"Robin?" The green haired man's voice was quiet. Slowly she removed one hand from his skin, and was greeted by another rush of dizziness. "Robin?" His voice said again from just above her.

The archeologist blinked slowly. It felt as though her thoughts had to pass through something solid just to get to her and make sense. The only clear thought was that Zoro was a lot like Luffy…they were both simple, and uncomplicated…both very…"Linear."

Her other hand also dropped from his arm. There was no wave of vertigo, but it suddenly seemed everyone was talking at once.

"What was that all about?"

"She looked so scared of me for a minute, what the heck?"

"I don't think she recognized Franky…and she didn't know we were on the Thousand Sunny either…"

"Damn it…What am I supposed to do…?"

"I wish Chopper was awake…"

Robin rubbed a hand over her eyes. She was getting a headache, and she didn't know how to respond to her ship mates. "What are we having for breakfast?" She hardly recognized her own voice, it was so…strained. When was the last time she had let such an emotion show? And why was she doing it now?

After another moment of tense silence Sanji began rattling off a list of things he could make and the atmosphere relaxed. She turned and went back to her seat, reaching for the coffee cup she had left there. Some of her nakama moved to sit with her but without even looking the archeologist knew Zoro had left again. The thought was also somewhat depressing. Whatever was wrong was making him avoid her…

* * *

Usopp was leaning against the mast, staring off at the fluffy white clouds in the distance. This morning's encounter was still on his mind. He had been surprised to see Robin up, though he shouldn't be considering that she hardly slept, and the uneasy feeling from the day before had overtaken him. Even before she had begun to freak out his dark haired nakama had been looking around in confusion…And what had made her react that way anyways?

Franky…She had been scared of the mechanic, but again the question was why? And after trying to run away and bumping into Zoro she seemed okay again. Depressed maybe, but no longer confused or afraid.

It was just so frustrating!

No one knew what they were supposed to do…not for her or even _near_ her…No one would want to scare her again, but they didn't even know what had done it in the first place…

The teenage sniper shifted his gaze to the lawn deck beneath him.

They were pretty much all feeling helpless; something this crew had never really felt before. While chasing after Robin's captors he had done his best to stay upbeat and cheerful along with Luffy, and he still _wanted_ to stay positive but…

From the interior of the ship Robin emerged, followed by their diminutive doctor. He knew Nami had talked to Chopper, given him an account of what had happened, and the reindeer had been careful to keep their recovered nakama in his sights. It was early afternoon now and the teen could see the archeologist was starting to be annoyed by the constant surveillance.

The tall woman caught sight of him and changed her course to approach. Usopp nervously straightened, but relaxed again slightly when she smiled at him. She didn't speak, only settled herself next to the sniper; closing her eyes and relaxing against the Sunny's mast. Chopper hesitantly shifted from foot to foot, inwardly debating something. Finally the youngest member of their crew looked up at them. "Well, I think I'm going to go write out a list of stuff I'll need at the next island. Uh…" He gave the liar an imploring look. "You guys enjoy the day." His real message was clear and the dark haired teen nodded his affirmation. He would keep an eye on her for a while in Chopper's place.

"Of course!" He said boisterously. "You can always count on me to enjoy!" Then he winked at the relieved child and watched him walk away.

There were several more moments of silence. Robin hadn't opened her eyes, but a small frown had formed on her face. Inwardly Usopp had his own debate. Should he ask about it or should he just leave her alone…?

His question was answered for him by their cook's voice, suddenly penetrating the quiet. "Oh Robin-chwan! Mind if I join you?" Usopp watched the graceful woman open her eyes and smile up at the other teen. "Please." She waved one slim hand at the bench and then closed her eyes again peacefully as he took the offered seat.

Sanji turned to contemplate the ocean as they cut through the waves easily on their way to the next island. Occasionally he would flick his cigarette, but made no other motion. Usopp didn't know how much time had passed like that; the three of them sitting together quietly, before Robin chose to speak.

"Sanji-san, Usopp-kun…May I ask you a question?"

The blonde's face lit up, excited that he could be of service to the beautiful woman and Usopp quickly spoke before his nakama could say something stupid. "Of course Robin! Are you going to ask about the time I defeated seven giants with one shot?" Puffing himself up importantly the liar prepared to enthrall her with his daring deeds but her words cut him short.

"What happened to me?"

Both men's mouths were open but neither spoke, uncertain of what they _could_ say. When they didn't answer she looked past the rail, staring out at the sea, sadness on her features. "I know something happened...in the last couple of days but…I can't remember…" Her voice had been quiet to begin with but it ended in a near whisper.

Usopp looked at Sanji, hoping for some sort of queue as to what they would say, but the cook's hair covered his eyes as he deeply breathed in the smoke from his cigarette. What should he do…? If she couldn't remember than he saw no reason to tell her…that awful place was still haunting him and _he_ hadn't been stuck there for days.

"We were attacked by this giant bird-"

But the cook cut him off. "You were taken away Robin-chwan…taken away and they did something to your head." Usopp looked back and forth between them nervously but neither pirate looked at each other. Robin's face had gone blank.

"There was a maze." She stated. The younger man swallowed but he had become inconsequential by then, her attention focused on the blond. "Ah…We destroyed it though."

Slowly Robin nodded. The sniper watched her worriedly, not even sure what he would do if she began to freak out again, but still wanting to help. The lovely woman's hands were trembling; her breathing had become sharper, her dark eyelashes fluttered as she shut her eyes…He was afraid she was about to cry…

The sudden sweet notes from their musician's violin distracted them all.

Brook was standing on the aft deck, probably unaware of them completely, his favorite instrument gently clasped in his bony fingers. The song was peaceful and soothing; and the young teen felt his own worries beginning to melt away before his nakama stood suddenly, startling him.

Without speaking she left the two men there, drawn towards the living skeleton, but her face had become calm again. He watched as she leaned against the railing next to Brook; taking in the tranquility as he played.

Usopp wasn't sure what she would have done a minute ago, but the upset emotions seemed to have slipped away, and the teen was grateful for it. They were just all so helpless…

* * *

His fingers moved with careful precision over the instrument's delicate face as the Strawhat's oldest member played for the dark haired woman. He hadn't needed to speak, and neither had she; he only needed to play, sweeping her worldly cares away.

He had taken up an instrument last night as a way to calm his own nerves, but Robin's reaction had given him immense hope.

Even if he couldn't say anything to help her, the music _would_, and that was all he needed to know. He looked down from his much greater height at his recovered nakama. Robin was smiling softly, her eyes closed and her arms crossed as she leaned on them against the railing. She looked serene.

Brook returned his attention to the masterpiece he was playing…he had never felt more useful as a member of their crew than he did now…Knowing that he could help even when the others couldn't. Not that he would object if they knew what to do for her…but there was something special about being able to help the archeologist when talking failed.

Allowing the melody to wash over him as well the skeleton sighed gently. Music truly soothed the soul.

* * *

**AN: **Ta-da! :P A bit of crazy and their reactions to it. Again if you have any questions (or comments) feel free to pm me or review. I'm not sure when the next update will be; partially because I'm in Alaska on my parent's computer and don't have access to my next chapter, and partially because I'm worried about updating when I don't have more done. But I will be working on it again, I promise! I hope you enjoyed! :D


	13. A little bit of encouragement

**AN: **Eeee! I hadn't checked my email in like...forever and then there were all these reviews! xD Sorry I didn't reply there was...stuff. It seems like there's always stuff huh? :( So this is my last finished chapter for the time being and I don't usually like to put them all up but I was just so happy to hit 100 reviews. ~^o^~

So... story stuffs. I'm glad Robin's pov made things a little clearer for you guys and don't worry, there will be more from her side of things. I'm also really happy that some of you mentioned you liked reading the other's pov too. For myself I enjoy knowing what all the characters are thinking but I wondered if it was annoying for you so...yay! Um...I guess that's all I have at the moment. Thank you again to everybody who has reviewed! Makes me so very happy, so thank you. :)

* * *

Coppery hair shining in the setting sun the navigator of the Strawhat pirates moved through the small port town they had docked in and back towards their ship. Sanji and Chopper walked close behind her.

Allegedly Nami had gone looking for information, a job that usually Robin performed, and had actually asked the cook to come with her…but most of their time in the city was spent with Chopper as he searched for different medications to treat their nakama.

Sanji's enthusiastic proclamations of love had been few and far between the last few days, (not that she missed them,) and more often than not she had to call to him several times before he'd even notice her. The blond mostly worked with his head bowed, the cloud of depression that now plagued the pirate crew, always hanging over him.

It made her want to slap him. Weren't things bad enough without him acting all mopey…? Chopper's depression she could understand…the young and sensitive doctor was their only real hope for their nakama…but the constant misery from the others was beginning to piss her off.

And if she still cried every now and then in her room at night…well, that was nobody's business but her own.

So the young woman found herself more or less herding half of her crew around when things had to be done; which was a much more exhausting task them ordering them to do things and them doing it.

Sanji continued to stay a pace behind her, easily carrying all the various medications and text their diminutive doctor had acquired; Chopper trotting at her side, and both staring gloomily at the ground.

It was a real relief when the Thousand Sunny came into view…until she noticed their sniper hastily waving at them. Even from a distance she could see the panicked look on his face. Without even bothering to look at the two males who accompanied her Nami began sprinting forward, her heart jumping into her throat.

She moved up the plank set at an angle for easy access and jumped off the rail and onto the lawn deck. "What's happened?" She demanded breathlessly. Behind her she heard the two other pirates reach the ship, her running must have made them realize something was up as well.

Usopp's hands were shaking slightly but his voice was steady. "Robin…She was doing okay, just sitting on the deck, but when she stood up her face got real white and she…uh…"

The navigator's hand shot out and caught the front of his dusty brown overalls. "What…? What else happened?"

Helplessly he lifted his hands and when he spoke it was to the doctor behind her. "She just got sick everywhere…" He looked at his nakama morosely. "Franky put her in her room and got her water and stuff but…"

His words dropped off. Chopper had already moved past him, his young face serious. "Sanji, can you bring those to my office?" He called back over his shoulder. The blond didn't say anything but he moved to comply, leaving the two other teens standing alone on the deck, feeling completely useless.

Nami's hand dropped away from her companion's clothes, the depression she had been fighting washing over her…So now Robin was having physical side effects too…

She also moved away from the sniper, walking in the direction their doctor had gone; her heart _ached_ with misery for her nakama, made all the more painful by the fact that she was absolutely useless.

Chopper was standing next to Robin's bed in his human form, one large hand touching the archeologist's forehead. The other woman looked pale still, and very tired. When the navigator entered the room she flinched and tried to turn her head away with a low moan. The doctor gave her a quick glance.

"I don't mind if you stay but shut the door please, she's very sensitive to light right now." His voice was barely above a whisper. Unhesitatingly she did so, carefully shutting the door so it would make the least amount of noise, assuming that the reindeer's low voice meant she was sensitive to sound as well.

Moving quietly Nami reached her friend's bedside. She bit her lip.

Robin looked terrible…not only was she far too pale the woman's long dark hair was stuck to her neck and forehead with sweat. Her eyes were dilated and her face was miserable…

Chopper moved away briefly to get her another blanket and the younger woman took the opportunity to speak softly. "Robin…? Are you okay…?"

Immediately she bit her tongue…what a stupid question, of course she wasn't!

But the archeologist whispered, "Yes…" Before shutting her eyes, a few tears leaking out behind the closed lids. "My head…" She stopped speaking and Nami gently pet her hand. "It's okay." She whispered back.

Chopper moved the blanket over the suffering woman carefully. "Robin…You're experiencing a migraine, do you know what that is?"

A shaky breath was his answer, but he acted as if she had spoken. "The best thing for you is to get some sleep…We'll make sure everyone stays quiet and doesn't bother you, okay?"

Again she was silent and after a second the zoan fruit user touched the navigator's arm, motioning that they should leave. Unhappily she stood, accidentally bumping the bed frame and causing the smallest vibration. Robin still moaned pitifully as if her body had just experienced an earthquake and more tears slipped down her pale cheeks.

"Sorry…" Her own voice was sort of choked as she looked at the suffering woman. Chopper touched her arm again and she carefully moved away completely. "I'll keep checking on you Robin, if you need anything…" So saying the little pirate moved to the exit and slipped out behind the younger woman.

Nami stood next to the door, her arms crossed under her chest and her fingernails digging into the opposite elbows. She looked at the closed door, the helpless feeling making her want to break down and cry again, but instead she turned to look at her companion. "Let's get everybody together and tell them…" She broke off, not sure what to say. To be quiet? Nearly impossible with this crew…To not do anything that would rock the ship? Also extremely unlikely.

Chopper seemed to know her thoughts. Shifting back to normal he looked up at her and nodded. "I'll explain it to them…"

* * *

The Strawhat pirates, minus their archeologist, sat in the dinning room around the table. Somehow it seemed this had become the place to meet when things had to be discussed…Ignoring that though Nami looked around at all the males in her presence…If they caused so much as _one_ tear to fall from Robin's eyes…!

Chopper was patiently explaining the situation. He stood on the long table where they could all see him. "It's not just a headache…" He was saying. "It's a lot worst than that…Usually it's accompanied by sensitivity to light, sound, and motion…that's probably why she got sick." The last sentence was added almost as an afterthought but the doctor quickly pressed on.

"There are other side effects too…but those are the most common, so it's really, _really_ important that we stay quiet and don't do anything that would make it worst. Um…"

He paused to look at Usopp as the sniper raised his hand. "Uh…yes?"

"How long is it gonna last?" The teen asked worriedly. "'Cause it's already been an hour…"

The reindeer shook his head a tad grimly. "They can last from anywhere between 2 to 72 hours…It depends on how well the symptoms are treated." Here he turned to look at Sanji who was leaning against the kitchen counter and watching him with a blank face. "She's gonna be nauseous for a while so could you make something for her that's easy to eat? Miso soup maybe or…"

The blond waved one hand before reaching up to flick his cigarette. "I know what to make for someone who's sick Chopper. But when do you think she's going to want to eat. I thought you said you wanted her to sleep…?"

The child shrugged and his stress and exhaustion were plainly evident.

"Don't know…But I'll be keeping tabs on her to I'll be sure to let you know when's a good time…"

The tiny reindeer suddenly looked down at the table with a thoughtful frown. "What is it Chopper-kun?" Brook asked.

Slowly he spoke again. "Well it's just that…Robin was answering Nami and I normally when we were asking her about her head…no gibberish…" He stopped and Luffy had to prompt him again. "So, what does that mean?"

"Uh, I…" The youngest pirate suddenly sighed heavily. "I don't know. It's not like we've made much progress today anyway; with something like a migraine…well it seems like it should be _harder_ for her to think like that…"

The depressed tone was creeping back into his voice, tinged with exhaustion. "I just don't get it…Sometimes she's almost normal, and then sometimes she's freaking out or…and there doesn't seem to be a pattern!"

Nami leaned up and hugged him, trying to sooth away the tears that were in his eyes. "It's okay Chopper…You're doing a great job and you've hardly even started right?" In the circle of her arms he reached up to rub at one eye. "Really…" The navigator insisted. "It'll be okay Chopper…"

"No it won't."

Her eyes, as well as the rest of them, flew up to stare at Zoro. It was the first time he had spoken since the small accident this morning. The swordsman was leaning against the back wall with arms folded, her face still a blank mask that didn't tell them anything about what he was thinking.

"It's not going to be okay, you can't promise him that." His voice was cold.

The copper haired teen glared at him, with no effect. How dare that asshole say such a thing…right in front of Chopper no less! She opened her mouth to verbally lash out but Zoro had already pushed off against the wall and crossed the room.

Before he could exit completely she hissed, "At least he's _trying_ to help! What have _you _done Zoro?"

His eyes flashed but he didn't speak again, instead he walked out of the dinning room, and probably off the ship entirely. Her hands shook with her anger. How _dare_ he…?

Chopper's quiet sniffle brought her attention back to the child-like male in her arms. Shifting slightly Nami sat next to him on the table, pulling him up into her lap while she spoke soothingly. Tears continued to mix with his fur but he tried not to cry aloud; instead he sniffled and hiccuped and whimpered.

'_Damn it Zoro…!'_ The navigator thought angrily. _'I'm not going to let this slide!'_

* * *

Robin's migraine persisted the rest of the day and half way through the night, after which the exhausted woman was finally able to sleep again. Chopper had kept close tabs on her, checking on the dark haired woman every hour or so until it was gone. The rest of the day he spent in his office; pouring over his newest books in the hopes of finding something, _anything_, relevant to their current situation. The child desperately wished Doctorine was there to help him…The best he could do was write her a letter, knowing that the likelihood of getting one back was slim.

By the time his patient was finally able to sleep the tiny doctor felt ready to drop from exhaustion, and he probably would have pushed himself the rest of the night if Sanji hadn't confronted him and insisted he sleep.

With one last longing look at the books on his desk the reindeer complied, but first thing the next morning he had returned to them with a renewed determination to discover something of value.

By the time breakfast was ready the zoan fruit user had looked up every symptom of prolonged keroseki poisoning and had compiled a list of treatments that could affect it. Robin's insanity was…another problem entirely. But before he could even begin research on that he had to deal with the poison that still infected his nakama's blood.

The archeologist acted regularly that morning. She didn't speak much, but she was smiling; it _almost_ felt like things were normal again…Robin had even made one of those creepy comments to Brook about how a man could live for three days without his skin.

After breakfast Chopper had taken in a deep breath for courage and had asked the beautiful woman if he could talk to her…Which is how he had ended up back in his office, her sharp blue eyes watching him patiently.

He had to admit to himself that he was slightly afraid.

He didn't know how to help her; he didn't even know where to _start_, but he knew that she, as well as the rest of the crew, were counting on him. The only thing he could do was just begin to figure out what her limits were…he'd have to go from there.

"So Robin…" He began hesitantly. "How are you feeling this morning…?"

The dark haired pirate was seated on the bed in his sick bay, her ankles delicately crossed and her hands in her lap as she smiled at him gently. "I'm fine, thank you." She murmured demurely.

"T-That's good…um…" The reindeer wracked his brains for what to say but she beat him to it. "Your heart is palpitating."

Curiously he looked over at her from the high stool he sat on next to his desk. "What do you mean…?"

She cocked her head to the side as she watched him knowingly. "Muscle weakness and tension, fatigue, shortness of breath…" Something else seemed to catch her attention because she looked away. He glanced in the same direction but she appeared to be staring at the closed door so he turned back to her. "I still don't understand…what…"

"Nervousness." Her voice was distracted as she answered. One hand slipped up to move her raven colored hair behind her ear, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What…?" Her voice was suddenly soft and he realized she was talking to herself now. "I don't understand..."

"Robin!"

Jumping slightly she looked back at him with questioning eyes. Embarrassed he looked down at the ground; he hadn't meant to sound angry or anything…The small fruit user took in another deep breath as he tried to refocus his thoughts. "What about being nervous? Is that what you're feeling?"

It looked like his question had confused her. Her lips parted slightly as if she didn't know what he was asking but she answered anyway. "No, of course not. You are."

He felt his own eyebrows drawing down. "What…?" Well he had been feeling nervous but her attention was so far away he didn't think she had noticed. "No, no." He tried to reassure her. "I'm fine."

She shook her head and sighed deeply. "…There's too much of it." Her voice was almost wistful. "And it's all moving around in circles that I can't follow."

He was feeling off balanced again and he knew it, but couldn't resist asking, "What's going around? There's too much of what?"

"Bit and pieces." She murmured again. "There are too many unattached parts just…around!" Raising one slim hand the archeologist motioned around in the air. "Floating and sinking, flying and running…it doesn't matter! There are just too many!"

It seemed to be upsetting her so he quickly changed the subject. "Did you like what we ate for breakfast?" He blurted out. Robin sighed again but let it go, saying instead, "It was excellent as always."

* * *

A good portion of the afternoon was spent that way; him asking her random questions and her answering. There still didn't appear to be any sort of pattern to her reactions, for one question she would answer calmly, and for another she would suddenly be frustrated. Though he _was_ interested to notice that she mentioned "bits and pieces" several more times during the course of the day. It never made any sense to him but the dark haired woman was definitely preoccupied with these "parts," and that there were "too many of them, everywhere!"

By dinner he felt there had been little progress made, mostly he had more questions now than he had before…Why was she able to speak in complete sentences? Why were some of her answers in context and others pure nonsense? What was controlling her mood swings? And was she even aware of it, _any_ of it?

But more and more the little reindeer's mind kept returning to the 'bits and pieces' comments. It was something she had commented on consistently, which implied that there was a real _meaning_ behind it…Which, in turn, implied that she was still somehow conscious of herself inside her head…Something that he had _assumed_ was a near impossibility before.

'_Too many questions and not enough answers…' _He thought gloomily. _'And none of those questions are helping me get any closer to solving this…'_

"Penny for your thoughts."

Chopper jumped and spun around to face Sanji who had snuck up on him. The blond stepped up to the rail beside him and leaned on it as he looked out over the ocean. "You're looking preoccupied." He said quietly.

The reindeer turned again so he was watching the sea rush past. Since Robin had been taken away the cook had been especially attentive of the doctor, whether it was quietly encouraging him or just sticking around, Sanji had been highly supportive and the young pirate appreciated it.

"I've…been trying to find the limit of Robin's mind…" Pressing his small fury face against the railing Chopper sighed. "There isn't much of a pattern yet, but the fact that she's able to answer questions is encouraging…"

Sanji didn't speak; he only reached into his pocket for the small pack of matches so he could light another cigarette. Once this was done the blond tilted his head back and let the small trail of smoke blow away in the wind.

Chopper hesitated before adding, "There are certain things she keeps repeating over and over, although…I don't know what that means either. But the nature of the problem should prevent her from being able to focus on any singular thought or object…but she keeps going back to it…"

"Could it mean something?"

The little reindeer looked up at his companion. "That's what I was wondering. But if it means something in particular…" He paused, trying to sort out the right words. "She'd have to be aware of those particular thoughts…She'd have to still have some control of her mind and I just don't see how it's possible…" His voice shook as he added, "How can I help her if I don't even know what the problem is entirely...?"

The older pirate leaned against the railing again and looked down at him. His face was serious but the depression that had been hanging over them all was absent. "We know you're doing your best Chopper." He said quietly. "It might take some time to get through to her, but we all believe in you."

His words brought little comfort. "But what if I start treating one symptom, and then find out it isn't going to make a difference…It's like a huge ball of tangled up string; the possibility of untangling it is practically zero unless you can _see_ the knots and there's no way I can do that…!"

"Chopper." Sanji interrupted him. "When untangling a knot in string you have to pull at it from many different sides. You can't pull on one end and hope that it'll all unravel…" The blond turned around to lean his elbows against the railing instead. "As for seeing the 'knots'…" He looked down at the younger pirate again. "It's possible that none of us will ever understand them completely, but that doesn't mean we should give up trying…Robin-chwan has always been a mystery…" The smallest hint of a smile crept onto his face. "She's just more vocal about it now."

Chopper gave him a half smile. He knew Sanji was just trying to make him feel better; and he appreciated it, he really did, but he couldn't erase the hopeless feeling…If this had happened to anyone else he would have asked Robin for advice, but now he was, intellectually, on his own.

The blond seemed to sense his disbelief because he sighed and then crouched down until they were on eye level. "Yesterday morning, before everyone else got up, Robin-chwan was speaking to me in a completely normal way…She might have gotten a little confused, but she was still…_sane_." He shook his head at the memory of it. "And then later she asked me what had happened to her. She _knows_ that something is wrong Chopper, which means that she's still lucid somewhere inside her head."

Chopper was looking back at him with wide eyes. "She...she asked about it…?" He repeated. When the cook nodded at him the reindeer's eyes dropped to the deck, his confusion welling back up inside of him. "She…she _has_ to be aware then…on some level she's still…" As the idea took hold he quickly looked back up at his companion. "Thank you Sanji! I've gotta go ask her something right away!" Without waiting for the other pirate to answer he began running, knocking on Robin's door breathlessly when he reached it.

The dark haired woman answered immediately as if she had been expecting it. "Hello Chopper." She greeted him calmly. He looked up at her, his young face filled with hope again. "Robin," Licking his lips nervously he thought of the best way to frame his query. "Yesterday you asked Sanji a question…d-do you remember what it was…?"

It perhaps wasn't the best way of finding out but he had run to her without stopping to think, and now he stood just outside her door, hoping that the cook had been right.

The archeologist was looking down at him seriously, but then suddenly stooped to be the same height. She didn't speak for a moment and the young doctor felt his heartbeat speed up in desperation. Anxiously he opened his mouth again but she shook her head and finally answered him. "Everybody is so careful not to step too hard…afraid the ice might break under their weight or that they'll damage something beyond repair…"

His depression almost swallowed him; she was talking nonsense again…but her next words made him gasp. "_I_ am not that easy to destroy…" His eyes widened when she met them seriously…She was really _looking_ at him, and not just through him…for whatever reason Robin was, as Sanji had put it, _sane_.

His lower lip trembled. However obscure it was, she had answered him…she was aware of him…!

Gently the dark haired woman reached out and hugged him. As the pressure of the last two weeks broke over him the child began crying as he clung to his nakama. "R-R-Rooobiiiin~!" He wailed.

"The weight of the world isn't on your shoulders…" She murmured next to his ear. "We're all here..._I'm_ still here."

Footsteps came from either direction but he ignored them in favor of holding onto her tighter, his optimism completely restored…Even though he still didn't know how to help her…Robin knew…She wasn't completely insane, so there was still the possibility of saving her…

* * *

The youngest pirate continued to cry on her shoulder as she gently pet his back. Though he ignored the sound of footsteps Robin looked up in time to see Sanji move into sight from one end of the hallway, and Zoro on the other.

The blond's face was serious as he took in the situation. Intentionally or not, (probably not,) his eyes only gave her a cursory glance before focusing on the distraught doctor.

"What happened…? Is he okay…?" She didn't answer; instead she turned her head to take in the other man in the corridor.

Zoro's eyes remained focused solely on her.

She felt the cook's warm hands as he reached to take Chopper from her and she allowed it, still focusing on the swordsman. Where Sanji's every action radiated concern for the crying child Zoro's face was a blank mask that told her nothing…She knew something must be bothering him, simply by the fact that he didn't usually _bother_ hiding his emotions, but she let that thought drift away from her for the moment.

Instead she smiled up at him and held out one hand. "Help me up, please?" She asked calmly. Impassively he took her outstretched hand; sending a warm tingle of what felt like electricity up her arm, and pulled her to her feet.

He tried to drop it again immediately but she held on, her gaze still firmly locked with his. "Thank you." She murmured softly.

Her mind hadn't felt this clear in days…with perfect clarity she could recall everything; including when her nakama had come to rescue her, and Usopp's quiet mutterings about the swordsman's abnormal behavior as he and Franky rescued her from the endless white walls.

Both the sniper and the shipwright had commented on his strange behavior as they walked; his reaction to her abduction, and subsequently how he had almost driven them all in search of her…She recalled all this in perfect detail before Zoro jerked his hand away from hers…and then her mind became cloudy again.

His blank mask had crumbled slightly, and she could see the concern, as well as something else, in his eyes. He backed away from her a step, and then another. The dark haired woman watched him swallow harshly before turning and leaving completely, having not spoken a single word.

Without a doubt something important had just transpired…she almost had the thought too, but suddenly Chopper's soft crying reached her ears again. Unaware that she had stopped listening to him in the first place the archeologist was turning back towards the two males before she knew it, concern washing all over her though she knew he was just relieved.

Softly she reached up and touched the child's back again, concentrating only on him, and being oblivious to the look on the chef's face.

* * *

Sanji's eyes flickered down the hallway towards where the swordsman had disappeared and then back to the tall, dark woman in front of him. He didn't speak, choosing instead to re-focus on the nakama crying in his arms.

* * *

**AN:** So there's the last complete chapter for a bit, sorry! :( I promise I'll work on it more tomorrow, and I'm sorry I've been bamphing around like a lazy person. Life and stuff all got in the way, but I'm home now (my trip to Alaska was _fabulous_) but a bunch of not good stuff happened like...the day I got back so...yeah. Sucks. Thanks guys for encouraging me even when I'm off lolly-gagging. :) You guys are awesome!

(rofl, Zoro ran away at the end. What a puss. :P)


	14. Things progress

**AN: **I owe you guys an apology. :( I'm sorry that it takes me so long to update...to be honest there have been a lot of things happening lately...which is why I've decided to put all my stories on hiatus for a while. I'm sorry! I absolutely will finish them, but I just haven't been writing for ages and I feel bad making you guys wait like this. :( So I'm going to go on a (hopefully) short break for a while, and then I'll come back and make everything wonderful again. Sorry guys! I hate it when stories I'm reading go on hiatus, so I really am truly sorry to do it myself. There's just so much happening that needs my attention. Here's an example of what kind of stuff is happening: I meant to give you this notification last week...and then my husband had an allergic reaction to the stuff we used to bug bomb our house and I've spent all my time between then and now deep cleaning everything to get rid of whatever chemical he's allergic to, and taking care of him...plus on that same day both my cats got fixed and so I've been taking care of them too. D:

So sorry again, and I apologize that this is a short chapter, but I really wanted to let you guys know what was going on and this is all I've got right now. :( But I hope you enjoy and I look forward to all comments, questions, or suggestions. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.

* * *

None of them had mentioned Chopper's small breakdown from the night before. After crying himself out in the cook's arms Robin had kissed his forehead gently and Sanji had put him to bed where he had slept peacefully all night.

The next morning saw the young doctor eagerly flipping through his textbooks again, this time in search of any kind of mental disorders.

His revelation of the night before, (that Robin was capable of lucid thought,) had renewed his hope, and with firm determination the child began searching through every scrap of medical knowledge he had available to him.

Then he went to breakfast with everyone and would take some time with the dark haired woman after wards to try finding her "limits." This became his daily habit, and even though she still did not make much sense to him, his optimism couldn't be squashed again.

Chopper's sudden obsession though began worrying the other members of their crew. He barely noticed anyone else and every waking minute was devoted to the problem of Robin's sanity. Eventually Nami bullied Luffy into making a captain's order that he wasn't allowed to continue his studies in this way. The mornings were still dedicated to Robin, but the navigator finally convinced him that everyone else could take time to "watch" her…Reluctantly he agreed, and the copper haired woman had almost no trouble convincing the others to help.

The sole exception being Zoro.

The swordsman argued emphatically, which she ignored, that he needed to spend time training and not "baby-sitting." Nami's shouts at his "insensitive, asshole attitude," could be heard all over the ship, and eventually he gave in…probably to spare his ears.

* * *

The green haired man sat against the railing unhappily with folded arms. The reason for this, the Strawhat's archeologist, sat next to him, absentmindedly caressing the spine of a book. She hadn't bothered to open it; instead she was watching their captain, sniper, and doctor playing tag on the lower deck.

Zoro briefly wished he had insisted on staying in the crow's next when Brook had come looking for him, but dismissed the thought quickly. He'd rather _not_ be alone with the beautiful woman. Their encounter four nights ago still unnerved him…not that there was a good reason for it…She had just asked for help up and he had helped her…

"Did you say something?" Her smooth voice said from right beside him. Ignoring the reflex to swallow before looking at her the swordsman put an uninterested look on his face. "No."

"Forgive me then…" She murmured softly.

"Whatever…" He muttered back. At least she acted normally around him. He had heard the others accounts of small moments of anger or frustration but hadn't encountered any himself, for which he was grateful. Being around her at all was…uncomfortable…he _really_ didn't want to try dealing with a sudden panic attack.

Unconsciously he shifted against the railing, one hand moving up to hold the hilt of his katana. Robin shifted next to him in response. The only noise was the shouts of those playing on the deck below them. She shifted again and then sighed.

Zoro closed his eyes, prepared to feign sleep if it meant he didn't have to speak to her…It didn't take him long to realize that was a mistake. His other senses, heightened by the lack of sight, began picking up things he hadn't ever noticed before.

He could hear her steady breathing, smell her lilac scented shampoo, as well as feel the subtle vibrations in the air as she shifted beside him. This…was an entirely new brand of torture…If he opened his eyes he might have to speak to her, but if he didn't he would be driven to distraction just by knowing she was _there_.

The swordsman hesitated, trying to decide which would be worst, but didn't have a chance to choose as the beautiful woman beside him suddenly spoke.

"Zoro?"

Again he resisted the urge to swallow as he turned to look at her. "Hn?"

The archeologist's face was puzzled; her dark lashes brushed her cheeks as she blinked in confusion. "You…" She paused uncertainly. "Are you okay?"

It was his turn to be confused. "Wha…? Yeah, I'm fine." His eyebrows drew down slightly. "Why'd you ask?"

She cupped her chin in one hand, leaning against her knees which were drawn up to her chest in a surprisingly vulnerable position. "You've just seemed…upset lately." She turned her face towards him, lying against her knees completely, and watching him with those bright blue eyes.

Zoro looked away from her quickly, unnerved again. How could she have _possibly_ noticed his mood with everything that was happening to her…?

"I'm fine." He said again. _'I'd be more worried about myself if I were you…'_

"And why is that?"

He almost jumped; he must have spoken aloud without realizing it, and then inwardly berated himself. _'Stop acting so nervous!'_ But she was still waiting for an answer so he shrugged, not looking at her. "You've been sick lately…" He said uncomfortably.

"You mean because I was kidnapped and had my brain tampered with?" She asked in amusement. Without meaning to he looked back at her, startled. "How can you _joke_ about that?"

Robin was smiling slightly. "If I don't, I'll cry…" She murmured softly. "Out of the two I'd rather be laughing…" She shifted again, letting her legs drop and turned to look at him straight on. "I appreciate that you're not trying to distract me from thinking about it by the way…"

The green haired man's discomfort increased. He hadn't realized she _was_ thinking about it…if he _had_ realized he _might_ have tried distracting her…

Her eyes suddenly twinkled mischievously. "Or did you just think I was sitting here staring off into space?" She said teasingly, as if she guessed the direction his mind had been going in.

He felt his cheeks warming slightly and Robin laughed. "Don't worry about it Zoro…usually it's so hard to sit and concentrate, this is…a nice break." Her eyes softened slightly and she shifted to stare out past the opposite railing again. "I've been getting distracted so easily lately…" She said, almost to herself. "It's nice to feel clear headed again…"

Ignoring the warmth in his face he dropped his eyes to the deck. What was there that he could say to that…?

"Thank you…"

Still staring at the deck he asked, "For what?" And heard her soft sigh tinged with sadness before answering, "For caring…"

The hand holding his katana hilt clenched slightly and he closed his eyes but there was no other outward sign of his rolling emotions. "We're nakama." He said roughly. "You know we all care." His throat felt dry and he finally gave in, swallowing hard while keeping his head down.

"Ah…" She agreed quietly. "I knew you guys would come find me…" The pirate next to him fell silent again. Zoro kept his face turned away, pretending to be watching Nami's orange trees, but it didn't stop his thoughts.

_~'I knew you guys would come find me…'~_

Robin's faith in them was…well, after Enies Lobby how could she ever doubt that they would come rescue her again…? But the fact that she _had_ believed in them, had obviously told her captors that they were coming…sent a warm feeling through his chest.

He knew he should ignore it…from personal experience the swordsman knew that allowing unusual feelings to persist rather than removing them brought him nothing but uncertainty; his feelings for the beautiful woman at his side being the foremost…but it felt good…knowing that Robin depended on them…

Usually the thought would trigger his self anger about letting her down but today it didn't happen. Being so close to her…The swordsman sighed…it was easy to ignore depression or anger…

Maybe being around her wasn't _so_ bad…

* * *

Sanji stood watch on the back deck, his blond hair being caught by the chilly winds, which he ignored. He was waiting…It had been one week since getting their archeologist back…eventually he was going to have to figure out what to say to that asshole…

A door opened on the middle deck and the cook smiled with a hint of bitterness. _'Speak of the devil and he shall appear, huh…?' _He flicked the tip of his cigarette off past the railing and into the water, not bothering to go down and confront him.

It just…wasn't the right time yet. Though, how he would know when it _was_ the right time was a mystery…he just knew that something inside said if he faced his nakama now he would destroy the very delicate balance in their lives, and he wasn't willing to do that…

So the blond didn't move away from his post as the other teen climbed the ladder to the crow's nest for his nightly watch. He only continued to stare out at the waves.

It might not be the right time, but that didn't mean there weren't a few choice things he would _like_ to say…the first being that his idiocy was causing undue stress on everyone else.

Sanji leaned down against the rail again, thinking back over his conversation with Chopper that had led to the meeting in the hallway. He hadn't realized…

Hanging his head the pirate chuckled bitterly, taking the time to breathe in and out deeply, enjoying the burn of nicotine.

He hadn't realized that Robin's feelings were similar, if not quite the same…And he doubted the Marimo knew it either. He had been avoiding her, (and had been for weeks before she was taken, now that he thought about it,) so the likelihood of him noticing was relatively slim.

Which was good as far as the blond cared.

His resentment for the swordsman on this topic didn't stem so much from whatever relationship he and the archeologist had…it stemmed from Zoro's attitude since this mess had started.

First he had threatened Chopper, (consciously or not he was definitely threatening,) and then had gone practically ballistic when meeting her kidnappers. If the idiot had been thinking clearly he would have realized they were losing precious time dealing with his rage…if he had managed to keep himself in control they _might_ have rescued her before the surgery took place…

Even those discretions could have been forgiven, for a man like him such loss of control only showed how deeply he cared, but then the asshole had done a 180 and acted like he didn't give a shit what happened…as well as totally destroy their precocious doctor's confidence in himself.

He still didn't know what Robin had said to inspire him, but he was grateful for it, and it only emphasized the beautiful woman's caring nature. Chopper pushed himself too hard…sometimes the others seemed to forget that he was only a little kid, and their obvious dependence on him in this matter only wore him down. So her intervention had been perfect. The youngest Strawhat had gone back to being normal…

The cook's mind was brought back to the situation in the hallway that night. He was convinced, more than ever before, that his green haired nakama was an absolute idiot. Again, he didn't know what Robin had done, but when the swordsman fled he had looked…_almost_ afraid…

"Shit head…" Sanji flicked his cigarette again and turned so he could look up at the lit windows of the crow's nest. "That's no was to treat a lady, jackass…" He said quietly to the other man who couldn't hear him.

Sighing heavily he tilted his head back further to stare up at the stars.

The second person his attitude was affecting was their captain. Luffy played around, laughed, ate, and did all his normal things…but that didn't stop the careless teen's depression from surfacing while he slept.

Their dark haired leader had taken the estrangement from his first mate hard.

Zoro had always been the one to back him up before and though he hadn't exactly _lost_ that support, Luffy himself seemed lost somehow…

Everyone was affected by what was happening, that's what had created the delicate balance their crew was dealing with now in the first place, but the second-in-command's calloused attitude was bringing in all kinds of havoc.

_~ "It's just his way of coping." The shipwright said to him. "He doesn't know what to do so…" Sanji cut him off angrily. "So he's taking it out on everyone else…? Franky, that asshole is destroying our crew!"_

_He shook his head, his long blue hair moving like the wave it was shaped to be. "I tried talking to him you know…he got really unresponsive…"_

_The cook snorted. "Like that's a surprise…" He muttered under his breath. The older man continued, ignoring his companion's comment. "Imagine you were in his place…a person you care about was stabbed, drugged, kidnapped, put through mild torture, and then driven insane…"_

_The blond dropped his eyes, his fury barely receding._

"_He can't do anything to help her and I'll bet it's eating him up inside." Franky sighed when the younger man refused to respond. "Just try and be patient with him Sanji, this is unlike anything he's had to deal with before…"_

_Resentfully he watched the blue haired mechanic walk away. "It's not like any of us has…" He said quietly to the open air. ~_

That conversation had happened two days ago, after one of the swordsman's careless comments had driven Nami-san to tears.

Finishing his cigarette the blond flicked the stub into the water and watched as it floated away. He didn't know what he was supposed to be waiting for…but it had better happen soon, because he wasn't going to stand around and watch this…_farce_...for much longer.

Someone needed to knock some sense into that shit head, and Sanji had absolutely _no_ problem with being the one to do it…

* * *

**AN: **Sorry again for the shortness of the chapter, but at least there was a bit of ZoRo interaction, yes? :) Please feel free to pm me if you have any questions or suggestions (or even if you want to rail at me, I'm good for all that :P) I might take a bit of time but I promise I will reply. You guys are awesome and wonderful and I am very grateful for your support! :)


	15. Tomato soup with a side of crazy please!

**AN:** Well, here I am again. Unfortunately this story continues to give me blanks when I try to work on it, but I just felt so _bad_ about leaving you guys on hiatus for so long! TT^TT If you haven't read my profile than I'll just add it here: The biggest reason that my updating schedule has gone to sucks with this story is that now I feel pressure because people are actually _reading_ it! xD I enjoy reading and writing to death, but this is the first time I've had so many people waiting on me and I'm all, "Holy crap! What do I do!" Keeping this in mind I'm just going to apologize now; if future chapters disappoint you, please, (_please!_) tell me about it! Don't worry about sparing my feelings because I'm never going to improve if I don't get honest feedback about what I'm sucking on! Don't get me wrong, I love _all_ my reviews! :D But the more I've been thinking about it, and the more I write, I keep coming back to the conclusion that I'm not getting any better, and that sucks. :(

(Okay, I have to admit it: I have threatened my husband with _bodily harm_ if he dares to read anything I've written; because I'm not confident enough in myself to let him see anything! Not my ideas, _I_ think I have good ideas. xD It's just that he reads _soooooo_ many books, and I am just all embarrassed because I compare myself to other authors! I know I shouldn't but it's hard to do, okay? D: So I really _need_ input! Please?)

Um...went on a tangent there was a minute, and now I've completely forgotten my point. (That happens to me a lot. xD) So I'll just add that I hope you guys _do_ continue to enjoy, and I hope you forgive me for being gone so long! ^-^

* * *

Chopper's voice was upbeat even if it was a whisper. "Sorry about your headache Robin."

The dark haired woman lay on his sick bay bed, one hand over her eyes to block out any light. "It's fine…" She whispered back. "I'm fine."

The young doctor beamed at her, though she couldn't see it, and moved back towards his desk, ready to pick up another medical book and go through it to find something useful. The others had been trying to convince him to take afternoons off, but since his patient was sick, he had told them that today he wasn't going to run around if there was something he could do to help.

Because of the oncoming migraine Nami had let him.

Their archeologist lay on the bed in his office for most of the day, though he didn't think she slept a single wink. As the medical expert on board Chopper had the duty to help her, but when he had hesitantly offered her something to help her sleep she declined.

"I'll be fine Doctor-san…" She looked at him and smiled slightly but there was something about it that seemed off. "I don't sleep very much anyway, you needn't worry about it."

"O-okay Robin…" He murmured quietly. "But please tell me if you change your mind…" His patient didn't answer; she had gone back to staring at the ceiling with a blank expression on her face.

The atmosphere suddenly felt uncomfortable to him but he didn't know why. Frowning slightly the little reindeer returned to perusing his book collection for any information on keroseki poisoning, determined to ignore the unnerving silence that had fallen between them.

* * *

Leaning back comfortably the tall woman crossed her legs; a smooth smile was on her face and her sharp blue eyes were watching him…For reasons Chopper couldn't fathom Robin had been amused all morning…it was beginning to make him a little paranoid.

The human reindeer and the archeologist were sitting on the grassy deck of the Thousand Sunny. Light gray clouds were trying to cover the sun, leaving the middle deck in cool shade. Small patches of light that had forced their way through the overcast skies would sweep across the deck as their ship surged forward in the surf, giving them a peaceful dappled effect.

The two pirates were sitting at the small folding table, a chess board stretched between them, and fruity tasting drinks in their hands. Sanji had swirled around joyfully when Robin asked him for something to drink…the young doctor hadn't realized such a small thing could mean so much to him…but the cook was ecstatic enough that he even fixed one for Chopper, so the youngest Strawhat didn't mind.

Zoro, sleeping against the railing behind them, had opened one eye and made a rude noise but the blond had ignored him loftily, making their two nakama chuckle, and the swordsman went back to sleep.

Their game, the third match of the day, was moving ahead at a slow and leisurely pace. The child doctor had watched his patient through the progression of each game, making interested mental notes about the woman's behavior. Each game she had seemed more focused, which thrilled him, but he couldn't help but wonder what had made it so. Was she able to concentrate because they had been playing most of the morning…? Or was something else affecting her ability to center herself…?

_How_ was she able to keep her mind organized at all?

Most of his inner musings ended with that question…In spite of _all_ his medical knowledge the little pirate couldn't understand how she continued to do the impossible…How was she able to focus?

"It's your turn…" Her voice was soothing but it still startled him out of his thoughts. "Oh yeah? Sorry Robin." Leaning forward in his seat the reindeer reached up to shift his hat, frowning thoughtfully.

She had definitely been getting better the longer they played…it was possible she'd even _win_ this match…and his curiosity about her thought process was driving him to distraction!

After a careful study of the board he shifted one bishop forward. "Check."

His nakama barely glanced at the board as she shifted her queen to block.

Feeling even more puzzled the child moved a knight. "Check." He said again.

Her lips were tilted upwards into that mysterious smile she wore whenever she was about to win, but a quick scan of the board gave him no clue as to her thoughts, even when she pushed her king to the side and out of danger.

Hesitantly Chopper moved his queen until it faced hers. She didn't even pause before moving her own queen again, shifting diagonally so her king was still behind it. "Check mate."

"_Eh_?" Incredulously he stared down at the board; his king couldn't move, blocked in by the bishop and knight he had just moved. "H-how…?" How had he completely not seen that? And how could Robin have _known_ where he was going to move…?

His baffled thoughts were interrupted by the supposedly sleeping swordsman. Zoro's hands were behind his head on the railing, his legs crossed, and a smirk on his face though his eyes remained closed. He snickered again at Chopper's amazement.

Robin coughed into her hand to hide her own amusement and the little doctor made a face at them both. It wasn't _that_ funny that he lost!

"I'm sorry Chopper-kun," Her eyes sparkled with good humor. "I'm not laughing because you lost…it's more the shocked look on your face." She coughed again, though he suspected she was really laughing, but remained smiling cheerfully.

"Oh well…Wanna go again?" The archeologist looked down at the finished game before shrugging; her slim hands made quick work of resetting the board and they were about to begin again when a thought occurred to him.

Robin had apologized for laughing at him…but he hadn't said anything…

He frowned thoughtfully. It wasn't just that he hadn't said anything, she had commented on his expression so she might have just guessed what he was thinking…but it was like she had known…

Dismissing his own thoughts as random and irrelevant Chopper looked at the new board with determination. He was going to put his all into winning!

* * *

They sat at the dinner table that night in a relaxed and cheerful atmosphere that had been absent for days. Nami smiled at the pirate to her right, and Robin smiled back. Things seemed to be going well…better than before at least. Twice in the days since the Strawhat pirates had begun their vigilant watch over their nakama Nami had been in the awkward position of a helpless bystander, watching as the only other female on their crew had "regressed."

Well, maybe regression was the wrong word…it was a good substitute though for whenever Robin acted…un-Robin-like.

In the first case the usually unflappable archeologist had ended up beating her palms against the table in intense frustration and anger. And the worst part was…the navigator _still_ had no idea what it had been about.

It had just been her, Robin, and Brook; they had been discussing something, some trivial thing of no importance, when the dark haired woman had begun frowning deeply.

Worried, but feeling she needed to know in order to help, the younger pirate had hesitantly asked if she was okay…Robin's response had been to look up at them both, with _tears_ in her eyes, and say, "All that information is _lost_; the world doesn't even _know_ what they're missing! People and pasts, forgotten in the blink of an eye…"

Things got even more awkward after her outburst…the petite woman assumed her companion had been thinking of her homeland, and it's great library or something…but then she began making _no_ sense; she hated thinking it, but it seemed like Robin had gone off the _deep_ end…

"Every _single_ speck, small as _dust_; without even _calculating_ how the slate would be as bright and shiny as new. The repercussions or the failure of it…No! Living in their little fishbowls, and judging the _world_!" She slammed her palms down in a shocking display of frustrated anger; the glistening tears finally breaking free of her lashes and sliding down her pale cheeks.

Robin had dropped back into her seat limply. "What for?" She whispered, her voice was soft and her tone was lost. "Millions and _millions_; _why_? …I just _can't_ understand..!"

Nami could think of nothing else to do but wrap her arms around the older woman; she was stunned again when the pirate had turned and buried her face against the navigator's shoulder, sobbing like her heart was breaking…

The second time around Sanji and Franky had been close by; both women had been sitting on the upper deck, the mechanic working on some hair-brained invention, and the cook happily twirling around his female nakama.

Robin was smiling indulgently but then a small crease appeared on her forehead and the archeologist had looked around like she was confused. Once again the copper haired woman had bravely taken the initiative to ask if she was alright.

Her frown became more pronounced but it seemed to stem more from puzzlement than anger or frustration.

Her answer was shocking enough that the three other pirates had stopped to stare at her. "Where is Merry?"

While they tried to process the baffling question Robin had looked at them all expectantly; she seemed worried when they were speechless. "Where _are_ we?" She prompted again.

Nami's mouth had gaped as she tried to understand; a light finally _did_ click in her brain as she remembered the day they got Robin back…Chopper had said he didn't think she _remembered_ how to hold a cup; could a memory problem like that extend to more than muscle control..?

It was a grim thought.

Their silence, (not to mention worried looks,) were getting to her, (_another_ thing that was so un-Robin-like…) and she finally stood from her chair; visibly paler than normal.

"What's going _on_ here? Nami? Sanji? Franky?" She bit down on her lower lip in an outright display of nerves. "One of you say _something_!" She demanded.

Her voice had a tinge of _hysteria_ in it, which finally prompted the navigator into action.

Nami had leapt to her feet to confront the other woman. "We're on the Thousand Sunny Robin…remember the Sunny?"

Slowly the archeologist had shaken her head.

Sanji-kun finally recovered. Smiling encouragingly he pointed at the blue haired man who was slowly getting to his feet. "Franky built this ship in Water 7; we've been sailing for more than a month on it."

Unfortunately his words didn't sooth her; looking more nonplussed than ever her sharp blue eyes had drifted over the middle deck, with its short tuffs of grass that bristled with a particularly strong breeze.

"I…" She looked up at the shipwright who had joined them. "I don't remember when we meet…_why_ can't I remember when we met?" She sounded so unsure, so different from the normally calm and unflappable Robin that she knew…

Franky leaned over her a little, one hand reaching up to rub the back of his neck self-consciously. "We met on the sea train when CP9 was taking you away…You…you _really_ don't remember?"

Nami had punched him in the gut. "You insensitive jackass! Robin wouldn't _joke_ about something like that!"

For once Sanji-kun had ignored her, (usually he would say some lame line like, "Nami-san is so beautiful when she's angry!") with gentle hands the blond had taken the tall woman by the shoulders and turned her to face him. He smiled at her again, a sympathetic smile that Nami wished she could pull off, and said, "Instead of focusing on what you _don't_ remember, why don't we start with what you _do_…Alright Robin-chwan?"

Robin wasn't usually the type of person who took orders…oh, she would follow the _plans_ they made when they were trying to get something done; but she was too strong willed to take outright _orders_…Except that she did.

The cook's interaction seemed to help a lot; though she was still confused and afraid, _something_ about her had relaxed, and she allowed the teen to put a comforting arm around her shoulders and lead her down the stairs…

To her shame, Nami had been so uncomfortable, and had felt so _useless_ that she didn't follow them…Consequently she didn't know _how_ their usually silly love-struck nakama had calmed her down…

The gentle nudge from her left side brought the petite woman out of her musings. Usopp was frowning and shaking his head slightly, frowning back she opened her mouth to ask but Robin cut in smoothly.

"The human heart creates enough pressure to squirt blood 30 feet."

Nami's head whipped around as she looked at the other woman and she spoke without thinking. "Eww Robin! How would you even _know _that?"

The answer was made creepier by the calm and peaceful voice she answered in…not to mention that the archeologist went _right back to eating her blood red tomato soup_! "I've cut open several people; it's surprising how much blood a human body can hold."

Noise at the table had already died down a little, but now it ceased completely; most of the Strawhat pirates stared at their nakama in horror, which she didn't seem to notice.

Across from Nami, Franky had looked down at his half-full bowl of bloody red soup and blanched. She could hear Usopp just beside her make a slight heaving sound. She could relate…it was extremely tempting to run outside and toss her cookies over the side of the ship; it was only through will-power she managed to stay seated.

Possibly _more_ disturbing than Robin's casual acknowledgment to murder was the three people who were _not_ upset by it; Zoro, (although, knowing him he probably wasn't all _that_ bothered at the idea of killing someone…she had some definite suspicions about how their stoic first mate had taken in some of his bounties back before he became a pirate himself.) Luffy, and Chopper.

Somehow it just seemed so _wrong_ that the two most innocent and naive people on their crew were the must composed in the wake of such a shock.

She had no idea what to say; and neither did the others apparently. The rest of their meal was conducted in almost absolute silence and it was only after the dark haired woman, (with Chopper in tow,) had left that they shoved themselves away from the table with disgusted looks on their face.

"S-Sanji-kun…" She knew how he felt about wasting food but… "I don't think I can _eat_ this now." Her comment was copied by the others, minus Luffy and Zoro; the swordsman didn't even bother to look up but continued eating, unaffected. Luffy looked up though, his eyes brightening. "_I'll_ eat it!" The clueless teen volunteered cheerfully.

The cook ignored him and looked down at the thick red soup he had made; then he swallowed and closed his eyes. "It's okay Nami-chan…It won't go to waste at least, but it will take some time to make something else."

"That's okay." The copper haired pirate agreed faintly. "I'm okay with waiting."

* * *

**AN:** I hate that Robin has to be out of character but there isn't really any other way to do things; she's pretty calm for the most part but she _is_ kinda a nutter! Can't be sane all the time, eh? For those of you who asked for more ZoRo interaction don't worry, it's coming! I'm not that good at subtlety, (as you might have noticed,) so I'm not satisfied in taking the next step until I feel like I've left enough clues about what's going on. :P I promise that there will be more between them soon!

I hope you guys can forgive me for taking so long to update again, (know that I felt guilty enough that I am updating while _on vacation_! Feel loved! Feel it I say! xD) and as always I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'd love to hear you guys ideas for what's going to happen next, (and I admit I might totally rip them off if I like it, but I promise to give you credit! :P) so please R&R! ^-^


	16. Usopp the Liar! And Robin can juggle?

**AN:** For those of you who are caught up with the manga:_ I SO CALLED IT!_ xD I wrote this chapter close to a month ago and then I started giggling my ass off when I caught up in the One Piece world again. :P For you who aren't caught up, don't worry about it, I try not to spoil things so I won't go into specifics.

Ah, about the chapter though...Lol, Robin is awesome. I heart her madly. I went through everything the other day, (my little plot bunnies and stuff,) and have set it out so it's a little more organized. I hope that will make updates go a little faster but my laptop kinda...died yesterday so...complications arise again. (I'm on Matt's computer and the only reason I can update _now_ is because I had already uploaded this chapter.) So, I hope to get that fixed up sometime very soon but I don't know...sorry!

Um...other than that I got nothing. I don't own One Piece or it's characters.

* * *

Robin watched with amusement as the sniper finished telling one of his tall tales. Chopper and Luffy were held captive by the liar's boasts, and even Franky was listening with interest…it _was_ an interesting story after all; idly she wondered where Usopp had heard of it.

"So I looked that thing straight in the eye and said," He paused to put one foot on the bench around Sunny's mast, one arm held across his chest in a very "heroic" pose. "'You're days of ship sinking are in the past Kraken!'" And then I let the shot go and the tree-spike impaled him! And as he sank back into the sea I could hear the villagers cheering, "All hail Captain Usopp! Usopp the brave! Usopp, our hero!" The only thing they could find when they went looking later was four of its tentacles, each 1,000 feet long! And to this day they keep a statue of me in the center of their village; and do you know what it says?" The black haired teen looked down at his listeners with that smug grin he wore when singing his own glorious praises.

"No, what did it say?" The ship's captain and doctor leaned forward eagerly, much to Usopp's obvious delight.

As this was the climax of his story the sniper jumped onto the mast's bench, one hand on his hip and one pointing off into the horizon. "It says, "Always hail and worship our great savior Captain Usopp, who we know will never be defeated!'"

He smiled down at his audience as they cheered for him, totally taken in by his lies. Laughing softly Robin clapped for him too; he was cute when he was being brave.

"That was _amazing_ Usopp!" Chopper was looking up at the teen with starry eyes while beside him their leader had flopped onto his back. "I wonder if a kraken is good…Hey Usopp!" Tilting his head back he looked at the liar with bright, believing eyes. "Next time you see one you should kill it and we'll eat it okay?"

Usopp winced slightly. "E-eat it? You want to eat it?" His disgust at the idea was incorrectly interpreted. "Don't worry!" Lifting both fists into the air above him Luffy smile widened in delight. "I'll bet Sanji knows _tons_ of recopies for cooking a kraken!"

The sniper knew when it was pointless to try arguing; instead he sank down to lean against the mast again, one hand rummaging through his knapsack. From inside the ever present bag he produced a number of small, colorful balls. With the ease of long practice the teen began idly juggling them.

"Woah!" Luffy rolled back to his stomach to stare, as did Chopper. "That's cool Usopp! I didn't know you could juggle!"

The archeologist laughed privately again as the sharp shooter manipulated them away from the distasteful subject of kraken eating…She had thought before that Usopp had remarkable skills, in a variety of areas.

Franky, forgotten until now, stretched as he stood up. "Yeah well…I've seen it before." The shipwright turned away with a bored expression, missing the irritated look the younger man gave him behind his back.

The blue haired man wandered off but Robin was content to stay where she was…besides, (She shook her head slightly with a sigh of semi-patient tolerance,) it was Chopper's turn to "watch" her and she didn't want to drag him away when he was enjoying himself.

The thought of it exasperated her but she leaned back against the ship's rail and thought about it anyway…she had noticed it had become easier to think when _speaking_ to the others, but in her moments alone she felt like a stranger inside her own mind…concepts that would have once been processed with no difficulty were things she was having to struggle with; not because they had become more difficult themselves, but because she just couldn't _focus_!

'…_Case in point._' She thought ironically. Hadn't she been _attempting_ to contemplate her crew's sudden need to baby-sit her?

Sighing deeply the dark haired woman's eyes closed as she tried to focus.

It had not gone unnoticed, her nakama's sudden desire to have someone near her at all times, but she was putting up with it, for their sakes. They were worried about her; if she had been on the other side of this situation she probably would have come to the same conclusion that said person might be a danger to themselves…

But it was beginning to be very irritating when applied to _her_.

The casual handing her off from one person to another was beginning to frustrated her for two reasons; one, she was not a child. Even if her brain had been _tampered_ with, she still felt _sane_. There were moments of confusion, certainly; but even with the twisted tunnels her thoughts had become she didn't wish herself any _harm_. They didn't know how to regard her most of the time and so they were treating her like a child, or a figure of glass that would break with the slightest touch.

Secondly, it seemed that almost _every_ time she was able to sit somewhere quietly and try sorting things out someone _else_ would come to interrupt her…She was beginning to feel annoyed, which was an emotion she had never had a problem with stamping down before; her inability to do so now only heightened her frustration…essentially, being annoyed _made_ her annoyed.

Unknowingly she laughed; at the very _least_ she was glad to still be able to see the humor in her situation.

"What's funny Robin?" Her young captain's voice dragged her out of her musings, (exactly like she had _predicted_ they would,) but she looked up to meet his gaze with a smile. Inquisitive black eyes were watching her, (inwardly she noted how much she _liked_ that Luffy seemed to be the only one _capable_ of treating her normally,) a smaller, more worried set copied him. Chopper's worry was obvious, but she took in a deep breath and ignored it.

"I was just thinking…" Her words were cut off as Usopp, (who had been doing a truly _dazzling _display of juggling with two circles going simultaneously in each hand,) took his eyes off the rotating balls to look at her too; immediately he lost control of them.

The small bouncing spheres seemed to leap in each direction, including hers. She reached down and scooped up the three that had rolled towards her…and then she began juggling them.

"Woah~!" Luffy seemed even more impressed. "Robin! I didn't know _you_ could juggle either! ?"

His words reminded her of something, something important, but only distantly; it was extremely difficult keeping her concentration on the rapidly whirling balls, but she found herself enjoying it, and not _just_ because it was visually appealing…she was _focusing_ on them…

The other pirate juggler wasn't upset that she had stolen his thunder. Usopp's eyes brightened and he asked her, "Can you double juggle?"

She didn't know…and that was very strange…but intriguing.

"I could try." Her answer was unhesitant.

The sniper had re-gathered his other props; picking up three balls and beginning to juggle as well he sounded excited. "Get ready…go!"

The six objects passed back and forth between them easily. Chopper and Luffy were delighted. "Woohoo~!" Their youthful captain shouted. "That's so _cool_!" Chopper's face had dropped the look of worry and now he was watching with open-mouthed glee at the colorful whirling objects. "You guys are _both_ so cool!"

They must have been too loud; a moment later both Nami and Sanji had emerged from their respective workrooms. Robin was hardly aware of them; she was completely wrapped up in the task in front of her.

Usopp continued to add more and more balls until they were passing so quickly she lost count of them. But she was having _fun_!

The archeologist's usually calm blue eyes had begun sparkling with sheer enjoyment; something none of her nakama had ever seen before. They'd seen her amused, or even happy, but never on such a level, and never with such a bright smile.

Eventually her handicapped brain was unable to continue and she messed up. Again the brightly colored balls were scattered but she didn't mind; crossing her arms in front of her chest she created several extra hands to catch the escaped objects, tossing them back to the sharp shooter.

Almost immediately she became aware of their doctor's troubled stare…She supposed it was because she hadn't had a reason to use her devil's fruit until now; the thought had occurred to her some time ago that she didn't know how her situation would affect her ability.

It was with relief the female pirate sighed; it had felt no different than ever. The only thing that put her off, and it was a very _slight_ thing, was how easy it had been. She had assumed it would be harder to concentrate on each ball, but it had felt…so _simple_ somehow.

Which defied all logic, and Robin wasn't very fond of things that defied logic. She liked understanding things; and while their had been a few _pleasant_ surprises in her life, (such as her nakama's decision to throw their lot in with her and declare _war_ on the World Government,) for the most part she wanted things to do what she expected of them…

Such deep, (and slightly dark,) thoughts had brought her mood down. Looking down she began frowning at the lawn deck again; looking up when a person crouched next to her.

Nami's lovely brown eyes were trying to mask her worries. "Robin? You okay?"

So it was back to that, huh? Sighing again the archeologist nodded to her. "I'm fine Nami-chan." Fine but frustrated…

She had begun shifting her weight as a precursor to regaining her feet but the beautiful lawn deck beneath her fingers suddenly pulled her attention away from her serious contemplations.

She really _loved_ their deck…Personally she considered it a stroke of genius on Franky's part for putting it in. Her frown had melted the second she began focusing on the grass and was now replaced by a smile; her frustratingly inattentive mind began wandering towards gardening, and no one bothered her again until it was time to hand her off to someone else.

* * *

Sanji was leaning against the rail of the back deck; it was a peaceful spot and he had come to enjoy taking a few moments of solitude in both the morning and evening before returning to the constant whining and working of every day life.

Dark eyes closed and he took a deep breath of the fresh night air.

"Oh! Sanji-kun!"

Smiling at the angelic voice the blond swirled around to look at his beautiful nakama. The navigator had a basket resting against her hip, filled with her precious oranges.

"I was just going to ask you when you were planning to make that orange sauce." She shrugged then and motioned at him with her head. "Come take these." She commanded.

Ecstatic to do anything she asked the cook rushed to her side, bowing low and kissing her hand before retrieving the basket. "Orange sauce? I'll make it anytime you'd like Nami-swan!"

The navigator smiled at him in a distracted way. He was delighted when she followed him down the stairs and into the galley.

His excitement dimmed when he realized Zoro was sleeping against the back wall but he chose to ignore the idiot and focus on Nami instead. To his almost overwhelming joy the copper haired woman stayed to help him wash the oranges and store them.

He noticed the few glances she directed at the sleeping swordsman but didn't say anything about it. Finally the petite woman sighed and when she turned to look up at him her eyes were very serious.

"Sanji-kun..?" Her voice was soft and troubled.

"What's wrong Nami-san?" He glared over at the first mate who was most definitely ignoring them but her words made him look back at her with a slight wince.

"I've been thinking about Robin…Have you noticed…how…" She paused, looking frustrated. "I don't even know how to say it…" The words were soft and spoken to herself. Sanji waited patiently.

Finally she sighed and leaned back against the kitchen counter. "Have you noticed how…_innocent_ Robin sometimes seems..?"

The cook blinked, (it wasn't what he had been expecting,) but reviewed his most recent memories of the black haired beauty, thoughtfully studying them.

"…Now that you mention it…" He looked back at the navigator. "Robin-chwan _does_ seem to have an air of innocence, doesn't she? But what does _that_ mean?"

The petite woman shook her head. "I don't know…and it's not just that…she seems so innocent to some things, but so jaded at the same time…" Her words trailed off and she was quiet for a moment before adding quietly, "In some ways she seems happier like this…"

"She's not."

Sanji and Nami were both startled and they turned towards the green haired man at the same time.

Zoro's eyes were open but he wasn't looking at them, he was looking at the wall opposite him and when he spoke he might as well have been addressing _it_.

"Even if there was some way to help her while keeping that innocence; Robin wouldn't want that."

The blond bit back the sarcastic words about _how_ Zoro would know that. But his inner restraint had no effect on his lovely companion.

"How can you know that? How do you know that Robin wouldn't be happier like this? You didn't see her today Zoro…" She shook her head but Sanji knew what she was referring to. He hadn't ever seen the archeologist laughing and smiling in such a way either.

"What's causing that 'innocence'?" The swordsman asked quietly. It occurred to the cook the usual asshole attitude was absent…for once he was talking to them about the problem instead of lashing out at everyone.

Nami hesitated, frowning slightly. "Well…" She said slowly. "She just seems so…_unrestrained_ in her happiness…usually she's so withdrawn that…" Helplessly the copper haired woman stopped.

Zoro spoke as if she hadn't answered.

"Right now Robin can't focus on any _one_ thing most of the time, right?" He didn't wait for them to agree with him. "This 'unrestrained' happiness is because she can't focus on holding it inside like she usually does…that doesn't mean she _hasn't_ felt that way in the past." The first mate's eyes closed again and he exhaled slowly. "Robin is a private person…and she _likes_ it that way. Right now…Robin doesn't have any control over herself; if she were in her right mind she would hate it."

Sanji hated to admit it, but Zoro's reasoning had a lot of sense to it. They had been thinking that Robin was happier but it _was_ likely she had always felt that way and had just chosen to show it in other ways…

"On the other side of that…" The blond spoke up. "Robin-chwan isn't upset by…_things_ that usually bother people." He didn't come right out and say it but the soup incident a few days ago was most certainly on their minds. "If…" He gritted his teeth but said it anyway. "_If_ marimo's theory is right, Robin-chwan hasn't _ever_ been bothered by those kinds of things…she just usually hides it because she knows it makes most of _us_ uncomfortable…"

The three pirates were silent for a few moments before the navigator spoke again. "I hadn't thought of that before." She admit quietly. "But it…makes a lot of sense, doesn't it? It's not like she's always been really forthcoming with other things anyway…"

Nami sighed and when she looked down her shoulder length hair slipped across her face. "I guess…" She finished softly. "I had _hoped_ she would be happier like this…"

Because they were losing hope about how to help her.

She left the rest of the sentence open but both men understood it.

Giving his own deep sigh the cook gently flicked his cigarette and then tried to give his beautiful nakama a smile; it wasn't too bright but at least it was genuine. "Don't worry, Nami-san." He murmured to her. "We'll eventually get our Robin-chwan back…"

"Unlikely."

Ah. _There_ was that asshole attitude.

Sanji glared at the uncaring man fiercely. "Even _you_ should have figured it out by now Marimo." He gave a superior look. "When things seem impossible we _always_ come out on top."

The swordsman snorted. "That's the kind of logic I'd expect from _you_." He retorted shortly.

For the first time in many days the two pirates had a 'normal' squabble; and though he would _never_ admit it the cook found the fight relaxing…Somewhere in the back of his mind he had assumed Zoro wouldn't go back to normal until Robin was okay. The familiarity of the argument gave him a perverse feeling of relief.

* * *

Brook relaxed on the wooden bench in the middle of the lawn deck, his skull tipped back so he could gaze at the stars. No matter how much time passed, the musician was sure he would never tire of seeing them.

Beside him, holding a book that had remained closed on her lap; was the Strawhat's archeologist. Her usually shiny black hair seemed duller in the minuscule light from the stars, and he had noticed a little sadly that she had dark circles under her eyes, made all the more noticeable on her pale skin.

His contemplation was cut short when her face turned towards him; she smiled though it was empty. "And what are you thinking about, Brook?"

The skeleton looked back up past the Sunny's mast. "The stars." He answered. "I've missed seeing them."

She looked up as well. "It's nice; the enjoyment you take out of such simple things." Her tone was soft though her words seemed sincere and not spoken out of anger. In fact, Robin's voice was filled with a peculiar kind of regret. "You remind me of someone I once knew…"

Brook turned the sentence over in his mind; the slight pain she was exhibiting was an obvious sign that the person she was thinking of was no longer able to enjoy the simple things in life, like looking at the stars. In that sense it would probably be best to steer her away from that particular conversation. But on the other hand, the older pirate was a firm believer in remembering the _good_ things that had happened…If this person had truly been important enough for Robin to remember, there _had_ to be good memories too.

"What was this person's name, Robin-san…If you don't mind my asking?" His tone was polite and respectful.

The woman's very bright blue eyes turned to contemplate him again and he was pleased to see a slow smile, (unlike any he had ever seen on her before,) slip onto her face. "His name was Saul." She paused and he assumed she was trying to decide what to say. "He was my friend." She said simply.

They were both quiet for a moment; to Brook's consternation the dark haired pirate's face became cloudy again and her gaze passed right through him, (though, being made of bone, that was pretty normal.)

"He died laughing." She said quietly, and now there was a sense of regretful confusion around her. "He told me that if you're always laughing, you're always having fun…So he died that way." Slowly her eyes re-focused and he met her steady gaze with one of his own; he might not have fully understood her, but the musician felt very connected to the archeologist at that moment. Robin sighed suddenly and looked down to the grass beneath their feet. "I still don't get it…" She murmured softly.

The two pirates relaxed themselves against the ship mast, in unspoken agreement that words weren't necessary…for now at least. They passed the remainder of that hour watching the stars together.

Eventually Nami came to get her. The navigator approached cautiously but when the older woman's smile returned she looked relieved and crossed the short distance between them. Robin stood and beckoned the copper haired woman forward. Without speaking the two women waved a quick goodbye and began walking away.

"Robin-san..?" They both turned back to look at him, one with curiosity and one with comprehension. The bond between them wasn't broken and undoubtedly the archeologist already knew what he was going to say…but sometimes a thing just _had_ to be said out loud.

"Your friend…I believe he sounds like our captain."

Nami looked confused but that slow rare smile slipped back onto her face and she nodded. "That's why we follow him, isn't it?"

The skeleton nodded back at her, feeling cheerful, and stood. "Goodnight Nami-san. Goodnight Robin-san."

They parted ways congenially; and, for tonight, that was enough.

* * *

**AN: **Meeeeeeh! I want my laptop to be working again! TT^TT**  
**


	17. Dreams and Deciding what's impossible

**AN**: I live! No, let's be serious; you should all thank my wonderful hubby for kicking my lazy self back into writing. xD Of course the threats that he'll let you guys kill me might have been part of that motivation, but who's really thinking about that, huh? This chapter is a tad darker, because I'm a bit dark and morbid myself, but I refrained from getting too graphic; no sickness should occur because of me! (If it does I don't take responsibility for it! You hear me? I deny all accusations!) But I still hope it satisfies you guys; I've had, (including this one,) the next three chapters half done and have been unable to finish them! It's been driving me crazy meself! But I thank you for your patience and I appreciate your support. ^-^

**Jimmy crack corn**: Ha! I will not be coerced with threats! Even though my hubby gives you a plus one in hilarity. :P I'm glad you're still enjoying it, (and that you are alive!) and thank you for cheering me on. I totally want to know what you think the pieces are! But since I also don't want it on the reviews page, (in case you're right,) you should send me an email instead. My email is Kmareek at gmail; this sight hates all others otherwise I would just put it as a link. Grr!

**Blauherz**: I don't think I can exist in a time and place where there aren't computers; when the Zombie Uprising happens I'll just have to make sure I'm already dead. xD I wouldn't survive long in a zombie infested world anyway. xD But thank you for the review and I hope you enjoy this chapter too. (Don't worry! Zoro will get better! He just has to get worst first! Mwahahahahaha!)

* * *

She'd been having a pleasant dream; they had discovered a hitherto unknown treasure with diamonds and rubies and millions in beri.

And then she was wrenched out of sleep by a scream of absolute horror.

Letting out her own startled shriek the navigator bolted upright in bed. In the seconds it took to take a new breath Nami realized the screams had continued without her. It took another few seconds for her sleep-clogged brain to work out that meant _she_ wasn't the one who had been screaming.

Rolling over and tripping out of the soft bunk the pirate grabbed for something to keep her balance; her hand came into contact with an arm, which didn't break her fall, but thankfully it was enough to jerk the other woman awake.

Feeling dazed and disoriented the copper haired teen stared up from the ground in-between their beds, blinking to get the sleepiness out of her eyes.

From above her there was a sudden deep intake of air and then Robin was leaning over the side of her bed, looking down at her with a haunted look on her face. "…Thank you…" The archeologist's entire face was drained of color; even her lips were pale. Her voice was cracked either from screaming or…something else. "I…couldn't wake up…"

A slight shudder went through the woman in bed, her eyes closing briefly and when they opened there was an unspeakable horror shinning through them.

Nami opened her mouth, on the verge of asking what she had dreamt about, but sudden pounding on the door made them jump; they were so tense another little scream escaping them both in shock.

"Nami-san? Robin-chwan? Are you two alright?"

Sanji pounded against the door again, his voice panicked. Luckily Robin regained her senses faster than _she_ had. The historian rolled out of her bed and with one created arm let the door open. Their cook hadn't been expecting it. The blond, in the act of pounding again, was thrown off balance by the sudden lack of door in his way. His body began falling forward and it was only through wind-milling his arms in a ridiculous manner that he was saved from a face-dive to the floor.

Nami stumbled to her feet, combing her fingers through her sleep mussed-hair, and hurried around the furniture in her way. Through the doorway and behind the teen she saw Usopp and Chopper, their faces worried.

Robin stepped up to the door frame, her face absolutely calm and in control again. "I'm sorry to have disturbed you." She told the startled males smoothly. "It was nothing."

The three gave her dumbfounded looks, (which Nami supposed were at least a _little_ justifiable,) and didn't answer.

Whether she sympathized with their confusion or not, they were being very _rude_! The navigator stomped over. "Go away!" She snapped. When they continued to gawk her eyebrow twitched and she raised one fist in warning.

Robin, ever the calm one, laid a hand on the younger woman's shoulder and shook her head. Nami gave her a quick, penetrating look; when she turned back to the boys her expression was calm too. "I just saw a spider." She told them matter of factly. "A big, nasty brown one. It's nothing, so could you _please_ go away and let us get dressed?" Her tone was pointed and she motioned at their sleeping clothes for effect.

Her words had the expected outcome; Usopp turned red in embarrassment, Chopper looked relieved enough to turn away, and Sanji looked them both over and then promptly had a nose bleed. With a slight grunt the sniper grabbed hold of the man now wallowing on the floor saying "Mellorine!" and began dragging him away.

Nami shut the door and then leaned back against it with a sigh of relief.

"I'm…sorry, Nami-chan."

She looked back up at her companion. The archeologist's face seemed to waver between apologetic and faintly haunted. Whatever she had been dreaming about, it had been _bad_…

"It's fine." She waved the dark haired woman's concern away. "It's none of their business anyway."

There was the barest shake of Robin's head before she answered. "Not that…" But the navigator firmly pushed that aside too. "You can't help it if you have nightmares Robin!" She chastised gently. "As long as you don't dwell on them you'll be okay."

Her tone was optimistic and her nakama tried to smile in appreciation but Nami had a feeling it would be a while before the archeologist would truly be able to smile again…Her dreams, whatever they were about, had caused more of a reaction than all but the most stressful of situations…and they weren't likely to be forgotten that easily.

* * *

She was right.

Robin had tried to hide it but her preoccupation was obvious to almost everyone, (except Luffy; but their captain was _always_ clueless so no one held it against him.) several times throughout the day the historian would just stop what she was doing completely, the haunted look returning over and over again.

It was horrible to watch and know there was nothing they could do to stop it. Robin wasn't capable of blocking out her thoughts, Chopper had said so, she had no choice but to re-live whatever horrors were lurking in her brain, over and over and over again.

Each time Nami saw her withdraw into one of those memories she would jump forward, trying to drag the archeologist out in conversation. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't.

No one mentioned the screams that had undoubtedly woken them all up that morning; either the boys had done the right thing and warned them all away from the subject, or their attention spans were just too short to remember such a trivial thing.

Watching Usopp try to launch Brook onto the top of the Sunny's mast with his huge slingshot, she had to assume it was the latter.

The navigator sighed heavily but they remained oblivious to the annoyance their actions caused. She finally gave up in disgust and left them on the deck to play in peace, hoping to find someone with a brain to interact with.

Sanji, Franky and Robin were on the high back deck. They seemed to be enjoying the refreshing sea breeze more than their idle conversation but they looked content so it didn't matter.

"What's up guys?"

"Nami-saaaan!" Predictably Sanji had jumped up the second he heard her voice. "Please feel free to sit here in my place!"

She chose not to say anything about it, since it would only encourage him and

she wasn't in the mood to deal with it. But the blond didn't complain about her lack of gratitude, (he never did,) and he bowed her into his seat with a bright smile on his face.

"So what's up?" She asked again.

Franky yawned and stretched, popping the bones in his back in what sounded like a painful way. "Nothing." The blue haired man sounded as bored as she felt. "Kinda boring day, isn't it?" He repeated her thoughts out loud.

Nami nodded her agreement; casting her gaze out past the rail she watched the waves washing over their wake, feeling a little absentminded but content. Her mind inattentively began wandering, finally settling on her wonderful, (but interrupted,) dream. She sighed longingly.

"What's wrong Nami-san?" Sanji's tone was immediately worried and she had to wave him away. "Just thinking about a dream I had…"

The tensing of the woman beside her brought her snapping back into reality. Peeking sideways brought her the confirmation she had feared and she cursed herself as an idiot. The archeologist's face had regained that faraway, vaguely horrified look.

She tried to think of something, (_anything_!) that would bring attention back away from those awful thoughts, but Robin spoke before she could. The dark haired pirate's voice was distant and almost clinical.

"I dreamt about a woman I once tortured to death."

* * *

As clearly as the day it had happened Robin could remember with perfect detail everything. The rusty smell of old iron nails being heated in burning coals, the dimly swaying light from the half broken overhead lamp, the soft sounds of terror from behind the woman's gag, and the no-nonsense tone of the man who was instructing her.

It was a week past her seventeenth birthday; she had spent the day guarding the cell of a prisoner waiting to be tortured, listening to his terrified pleas.

"Now," Her 'teacher' was saying to her, "You can do this with just about any long, sharp object…we're gonna use the red hot nails 'cause it's easier to get them in-between the nail and skin, a'right?"

Obediently she nodded to show she understood.

The older man, lean from many hours of hard, hot work in the dungeons, bent over the terrified woman.

"It's easier if you get them tied up all spread out like this when they're unconscious…otherwise they struggle and it takes time to subdue them. Just knock 'em out at the start and get yourself set up."

He indicated the way she was bound, hand and foot, in the spread-eagle position. His tone was lecturing as he pointed out the finer points used in this form of torture. "If you don't make sure their extremities are down tight they'll start flailin' when you insert the nails and then you'll never get anything done; so make damn sure you do it right the first time, or I'll be showing you how it's done when I do it to _you_! Clear?"

Again the dark haired teen nodded, her face blank; those threats weren't that bad anymore…not because she didn't think they were _real_, oh no…The people she was currently working for would have absolutely _no_ problem with showing her how torture worked by experience, she knew that for a fact.

But some time ago Robin had lost the innate sense of fear when it came to physical suffering.

She still wanted to live, of course. She had something to accomplish in this life and she couldn't die until she saw it through to the end…But somehow...the threat of pain was no longer motivating to her.

If she got hurt, she got hurt. That was all there was too it anymore.

The young woman watched with vacant eyes as the man took hold of his prisoners left arm. The captive screamed behind her gag and began struggling; trying, (futilely,) to get away.

Casually he jerked her arm out of her socket. She screamed again but stopped squirming, too afraid to move anymore.

"Get me one of them nails." He instructed the archeologist.

Dutifully Robin used the tongs to bring the red hot metal away from the fire and to the table.

"The easiest way ta get the job done would be to heat up a set of pliers or forceps and then just yank the nail away; but I like this way better."

She didn't comment on his sick enjoyment. As docile as a mouse the dark haired teen simply followed his instructions; adjusting her movement and methods as he saw fit.

Though her mind remained thankfully blank her body reacted to what she was doing. Twice she had to stop herself from retching at the smell of burning flesh, and once she had to fight down tears that wanted to rise…any sign of weakness could possibly land her in a worst situation than the one she was currently performing.

The prisoner's screams were almost intolerable though. She had learned long ago to never show emotion in a bad situation; but the raw, _animalistic_ sound the trapped woman made was enough to make her wince.

Robin did her tasks as quickly as he let her; she did not enjoy prolonging the inevitable…and then she made the mistake of looking into the woman's dark blue eyes as their light began to fade.

The teen jerked back, stung deeply by the accusation and penetrating hatred in that gaze; but just as quickly she reached forward and shut the dead woman's eyes. Her teacher had not noticed the actions. Small though the gesture was, it was the least she could do for her…

* * *

The three other pirates were deathly silent after their nakama's words.

Though the Strawhats had come to a silent agreement not to discuss it; it had become very clear since they had rescued the beautiful woman that she had been hiding an even darker past than they had known. Out of respect for her feelings no one had said a word about the sometimes random comments she made. Not the slightly creepy ones about broken bones or how long a person could live without sleep…that had always been Robin's thing…but now those random comments seemed more sinister as they came to realize that she knew most things from experience, _not_ from the safety of some book.

For a moment no one knew what to say; Sanji ached as he watched a cold sweat break out on the dark haired woman's forehead.

But the tense moment was broken my Brook's distinctive laugh just above them, followed by the splash the skeleton made as he landed in the sea. The four pirates looked past the rail at the spot where their musician had disappeared before there was shouting and they were joined on the back deck by Luffy, Usopp and Chopper.

"Aaaahhhhh!" Their captain shouted as he perched on the rail. "You killed Brook!"

The second black haired man moved to the wooden barrier just beside the other teen and was looking down into the dark water with a slightly confused look on his face. "Well…it wasn't _my_ fault! The wind caught him after he left the sling!"

The youngest pirate pushed in between them to hold the legs on the rail, shouting in panic. "Waah! Brook's in the water! Brook's gonna die!"

Sanji's eyebrow twitched. "Well, go _get_ him!" The cook kicked the sniper over the railing. "Dumbass! He really _will_ die if you don't rescue him!"

* * *

Minutes later they were back on deck; Usopp grumbling as he wrung out his clothes, muttering that he had no control over the weather and if anyone _did_ it was Nami.

The older teen planted his foot against his back and ground him into the deck. "What was _that_ asshole? Don't you dare blame Nami-san!"

Next to them their living skeleton was kneeling and looking around. "Thank you Usopp-kun! I thought I was going to die! Though…I'm already dead!Yohohohoho!"

The doctor was next to him, wiping his brow in relief as if he thought they would _really_ have let the musician die. "I'm so relieved…" The reindeer said.

Nami had joined in stomping Usopp. "I wasn't even there!" The navigator shouted at the bruising teen. "Don't blame _me_ when all your idiotic schemes fall apart!"

Luffy laughed at them and was promptly included in the beating.

The general chaos would have continued but it was interrupted by breathless laughter. The six active pirates stopped what they were doing to look back and found the source of the mirth.

Franky and Robin had remained seated on the bench and now the dark haired woman was nearly howling with laughter, one hand resting on the shipwright's shoulder to keep her from falling straight off her seat. The cyborg's eyebrows had risen almost to his hairline as he watched the unrestrained enjoyment rolling off his companion, but he was sitting still so she wouldn't fall.

The more worldly members of the crew's stares were broken as Luffy began laughing too. The two pirates didn't stop and a few seconds later they were joined by Chopper, Brook and then Usopp.

Feeling a little bemused Sanji shifted and exchanged a look with the younger female. Neither had to say it for their absent nakama's words to be at the forefront of their minds.

It was easy to agree that their usually reserved historian would be uncomfortable with her many uncharacteristic outbreaks…but on the other hand…wasn't hysterical laughter an upside to remembering horrors from her past..?

The question was between them but neither hand an answer.

Nami was dragged away from him by Luffy who had stretched out an arm and caught her. "Hey Nami! C'mere for a second!" And then the rubber man jerked her off her feet and into the pile of laughing pirates, ignoring her angry protests.

The blond wished he could be distracted as easily…almost against his will the thought came to him that even though _they_ didn't have an answer the swordsman _would_.

"Shithead…" He muttered to himself as he flicked his cigarette over the side of the ship. "Like I'd ask that jackass for advice…"

But some small part of him persisted with the idea that Zoro would have more answers and a deeper insight than anyone else.

* * *

Many hours after the unexpected party on the back deck Robin sat on the Sunny's bench and looked out over the water. A pod of dolphins were passing and the friendly creatures had begun swimming closer and closer until they were right next to the pirate ship. Chopper stood beside the railing, chatting excitedly with them each time they jumped out of the water.

Franky was seated on the ground next to her legs; his giant forearms resting on the bench behind him and his legs stretched out in front of him. The cyborg barely suppressed a yawn of boredom as he watched the little reindeer make friends.

"You don't have to sit with me, Franky."

He tilted his head to look back at her in confusion but she shook her head and spoke before he could contradict her. "I'm aware of why everyone is taking turns, but really…you don't have to baby-sit me. I'm fine."

He rubbed a hand against the back of the neck, trying not to grimace, before shaking his head back at her. "It's not like that." The shipwright said. "Yeah, Chopper wants us to keep an eye on you…but that's not what I'm doin', so…"

Robin reached up to push back the long dark strands of hair that usually framed her face; a half smile had lit her features without her permission and she gave her companion a fond look. It was the first time any of them had been so open about the situation; she appreciated it. It made her feel like he was taking her seriously again.

"Why are you doing it then?" She inquired softly. "If you're not here to watch me, why are you sitting around acting so bored?"

The older pirate chuckled and then grinned back at her. "You sayin' I'm boring company?" He teased before turning serious again. "I was just sitting here…thinking…"

There was noise at the railing across from them and Robin's eyes were drawn in that direction against her will. Usopp had joined Chopper, followed by Luffy; now the two other pirates were trying to hold the rubberman back while he laughed loudly about eating the dolphins.

To her right the carpenter shifted and she realized her brain had become distracted once again. Resolutely she turned her attention back to her companion; the cyborg wore a half smile and when her gaze touched his face he laughed quietly. "That's what I was thinkin' about actually."

She shifted so her knees were next to one large arm and her back was to the railing, determined to not get distracted again. "What was?" She asked softly.

Franky shifted again too; scooting so he was facing her, one massive forearm still resting on the Sunny's bench. The usually boisterous man had a serious look on his face and he seemed to be struggling for the right words to say.

Finally he grimaced and looked back up at her. "When we first got you back Chopper said it was almost impossible for you to even think a straight sentence…but you've been getting clearer and clearer and I don't think Chopper's the one doin' it." The blue haired man raised one hand to rub at the back of his neck, uncomfortable but still trying to make his thoughts clear. "Yeah we've all been tryin' and everything but…"

"But due to the nature of the situation even recovering as far as I have should be impossible." She met his eyes without flinching. "That's what you were asking, wasn't it?"

The cyborg let out a breath as a small explosion of air. "I shoulda known you'd know." He agreed quietly, shaking his head.

The historian looked down at the lawn beneath her feet, a well of sadness rising inside her. Franky assumed she understood, for whatever reason, but the truth was…she didn't understand at all. She was aware, in the back of her mind, that even this rough semblance of normality was impossible…aware, but unable to reason it out.

"The answer is…" Swallowing in a dry throat the dark haired pirate couldn't stop a shaky sigh from escaping her. "I _don't_ know."

He was surprised; she could tell without even looking at him that his face was reflecting confusion. "Huh? Whatdya mean?"

Robin found that she couldn't meet his eyes again; she, no _they_, were used to her having all the answers. She wasn't sure if her feelings were because of her lack of knowledge…or because she was just too ashamed to look at him. All she really understood of the churning swirl of emotion inside her was that she didn't know how to face it.

The chaos inside her mind was almost overwhelming.

Lashes lowered over bright blue eyes mournfully. "It is impossible." Her voice was low and tinged with her sadness. "I should not be able to think clearly at all, let alone _talk_…but I can and I don't understand why. It's impossible…" She reiterated.

Her nakama was silent for several moments, trying to puzzle things out in his mind; she envied him…the ability to be able to sort through his own thoughts to try to determine a workable answer…after weeks of struggling just to stay coherent it just seemed so unfair.

A slightly bitter smile crept onto her face; fair. When had life ever been fair to her?

"It's…not impossible, Robin."

It was her turn to be surprised; she half turned her face to look at him but her shame was too great. Instead she let the curtain of dark hair slide past her ear and down her cheek, hiding her from sight, and waited for him to explain himself.

"Look, I'm not a doctor or anything, and I don't know a thing about how bodies work, but…I'm not stupid, I can see what's staring straight at me."

Her brow furrowed in confusion. What did he mean?

But the cyborg was ready to continue, his voice getting a little stronger, a little more confident. "You say it's impossible, and yet you're doing it. We might not have a single clue as to _why_, but it's obviously possible! If it wasn't you wouldn't be able to."

Robin was…stunned.

It was such a simplistic line of logic; but she had no way to refute it. He was right…the very fact that she was able to think in even remote ways was proof of it.

Having stunned the archeologist into silence the cyborg shifted back to his original position, his shoulders un-tensing as he relaxed against the wooden bench.

"Chopper thinks it's possible to cure any kind of sickness you know…" His tone was quiet but it had lost its serious edge and was now dancing on the border between normal and teasing. "So don't you think about giving up; you'd make him doubt himself."

Franky didn't speak again and Robin found she had nothing to say. It was confusing…but still enlightening and the historian found herself withdrawing into a thoughtful silence as she tried to understand where she should, or _could_, go from there.

* * *

**AN: **So there you have it; behold the horror. I apologize again for my lack of updating...I'm pretty sure there was more I was gonna say but now I can't remember what it was. xD Sorry!


	18. Late night talks with Luffy

**AN:** Good _Lord_ it's been a while! So I have CYBRASAPPHIRE and Pirate hunter devilschild24 to thank for kicking me around and making me post again. Thanks again for your messages guys! Because of them I promised to try posting again at the New Year, and well, here we are. Hope nothing bad happens this time. :(

I've had this chapter done for a while, but between my crazy life, other genres, and good old-fashioned writer's block there isn't much else done. I have a few half chapters, but it's been so long...I'm not entirely sure where I want to go with this story anymore. After re-reading all my notes and whatnot I realize that the ending really wasn't very solid; honestly, I think you guys deserve better then that. (Especially with how long you've stuck with me!) So I've decided to re-write the end; but to get there we have to finish the middle and, well...you guys are going to beat me I fear. Things always have to get worst before they can get better. xD

* * *

Robin had remained quiet for the rest of the night; by the time her room mate had hesitantly entered the dark haired woman was curled up in her bed, pretending to sleep.

She had listened to the younger pirate sneak around quietly, trying not to disturb her as she got ready for bed, and then sat in silence after the navigator had finally gone to sleep.

She waited for perhaps another hour before silently pushing back her sheets and getting out of bed. On noiseless feet the archeologist had left their room and returned to the well cared for deck of their ship.

At first she had gone to the bow, thinking to sit quietly and just relax; but the bow was the closest part of the ship to the island they were docked at and the surf rolling over the rocks made a maddening booming sound that soon drove her to distraction.

Next she had slipped to the back deck but it was the closest place to Nami's orange trees; in the silence the night had come alive with the sounds of crickets chirping, birds settling, and leaves rustling…eventually she was driven away from _there_ too.

There was no spot on the ship that was truly _silent_, Robin knew that, but she desperately wanted a place to sit in peace and in her current condition she wasn't going to be able to relax if there were things around to distract her.

But she was bound and determined…The historian relocated to the middle deck and, (almost stubbornly,) settled herself on the rail, facing the rolling sea. Not wanting the waves to divert her attention she tilted her head back to gaze at the sky.

The breath taking-sight softened her feelings a little, and as she watched the millions of twinkling lights Robin finally found the peace she had been looking for. Sighing softly she let her eyes drift around the starry horizon and let everything else go. The anger, the fear, the frustration…one by one the confusing turmoil of emotions settled and dispersed.

A smile slipped onto her lips as her eyes closed, her head still tilted back, and she breathed in the cool night air deeply. She had no idea how long she would remain there but it really made no difference to her…as long as she had the time she would stay…

Minutes passed and turned into hours and then, sometime closer to dawn, the historian was drawn away from her relaxed state. She had become so peaceful, so restive, that the world around her had become a very distant thing; the sound of someone coming up onto the deck would usually be enough to bring her alert, but not now…

And that's how he was able to sneak up on her.

"Robin?"

Bright blue eyes flashed open and her body jerked against her will as her inner peace was shattered. The forward rocking motion of her body was enough to off balance her and without thinking the dark haired woman wind-milled her arms in an effort to keep from falling down and into the ocean.

Her flailing _did_ save her from the cold water, but it _didn't_ save her from falling backwards.

Robin landed on the lawn deck on her back, her ankles caught on the railing where she had just been sitting, her knees knocking into each other and her arms spread out to her sides.

Still somewhat shocked at the sudden intrusion into her little world she tilted her head back against the grass to see who had snuck up on her.

Her captain was looking back at her, just as wide eyed. For a moment they stared at each other in confusion and then the young man's trademark smile returned and he pointed one finger at her as he began laughing. "Ha ha ha! Robin! You should see yourself!"

She must have looked ridiculous, lying on the ground like that, but her youthful leader's cheerful attitude was infectious; instead of being embarrassed to be caught in such a position she smiled too and even let out a small laugh...which quickly broke out of her control until she too was laughing hard enough to shake her whole body.

The two pirate's mirth over-took them and for several minutes they couldn't speak. Finally, wiping actual tears from her eyes, the dark haired woman slid her legs off the railing and righted herself.

Luffy was still grinning at her and the young man offered her a hand up from the deck. She took it with a smile.

"What are you doing up this late?" Her tone was warm; affectionate even.

Both hands went to his hips and he rather proudly told her, "I'm raiding the kitchen!" Dark eyes bright with good humor he looked up at the taller pirate. "Wanna come? But you can't have anything I'm going to eat!"

Robin's lips were curved upwards into a smile at his warning and she nodded. "I believe I'll accompany you."

He led her to the ship's galley, chatting cheerfully about the ice cream he was planning on devouring, and then hopped over to the fridge. The rubber man frowned at it briefly, there was a new lock that he apparently hadn't been expecting, but then the thin pirate shrugged it off and moved one fist back.

Holding back an amused sound the archeologist interfered before he could punch a hole in the ice box. "Let me, Luffy." Still smiling she crossed her arms into a v shape in front of her chest and concentrated.

Quickly and efficiently she searched the surrounding cupboards for the key while her companion danced around impatiently. "C'mon Robin!" The teen whined. "I want ice cream!"

Her search was unfortunately fruitless. Laying one hand on the young man's arm she smiled mysteriously. "I can't find the key, so let me show you a _secret_ way of opening it."

She had caught his attention; looking intrigued he stepped back and let her take his place in front of the freezer.

Carefully the archeologist created more arms on the sides of the container and then began gently working the pins out of the hinges on the opposite side of its opening. Luffy's eyes widened, "Why didn't _I_ ever think of that?" He mused aloud.

She let herself laugh in amusement and then stepped back when the door swung open. "There you are."

Her captain beamed at her and then dove towards the ice chest. Robin shook her head and turned her attention to the coffee maker; a cup of hot coffee sounded delightful just then.

As the machine percolated the historian turned her head and watched her companion with soft, affectionate eyes. The teen had already dragged out the small freezer's contents and had happily seated himself at the table with every flavor of ice cream they had.

She brought her steaming cup with her when she went to join him there.

Sitting quietly and sipping her drink the dark haired woman watched him scoop up the frozen contents and greedily shove them into his mouth; every few bites the rubber man would pause to grab his head in pain but as soon as the cold headache passed he would dive back in.

Resting both elbows on the table and holding the coffee cup up to her face Robin smiled at him. There was truly no one in the world like their exuberant, child-like captain…

"Thank you Luffy."

He didn't even pause; looking up at her with clueless eyes the teen continued to ravage the contents of the freezer. "Uf or?" He asked around a mouthful of mint chocolate chip.

Her smile widened.

"For coming to find me."

The young pirate waved off her thanks with a bright smile and exclamation, "Of course!" before digging back into his ill gotten goods.

She watched him quietly for a few moments before a thought occurred to her and she spoke without meaning to. "Luffy?" His dark eyes looked up to meet her gaze though he didn't stop eating. She paused, a small tendril of uncertainty winding its way up to grab her attention, but then pushed on regardless; out of everyone on board…he was most likely to give her a completely honest answer. Luffy was refreshingly uncomplicated like that; he was the way he was and he didn't apologize for it.

All this passed through her mind and unknowingly the archeologist nodded resolutely before refocusing on him.

"What was it like, while I was gone?" He tilted his head to the side, apparently confused by the question so she explained further. "From things the others have said…It sounds like you guys went through a hard time."

Luffy swallowed half a carton of strawberry cheesecake in one gulp and nodded at her. "We missed you; everybody was either angry or sad and it sucked!"

Her lips quirked in amusement but she tried to push it aside. "I'm sorry I worried everyone." There was the shortest pause before she added in a teasing tone, "I didn't know things would suck without me here."

The teen didn't catch the teasing and he responded as if her answer had been completely serious. "Yeah, it does! Mostly everybody was moping around and being boring!" Then he gave her that trademark grin. "Everybody's important, so we have to make sure everybody is safe!"

Robin's smile grew slowly as she watched her captain dig back in; how had she lived this long without these crazy people in her life?

Raising her cup to her face she blew on the hot beverage gently before taking a sip. She had gathered that things had been tense and unhappy while her nakama searched for her…all because she was a part of their little band and it simply wouldn't be complete if a single one of them was missing…something Luffy had known all along.

"I missed you too." The archeologist's words were a soft murmur, she couldn't even be sure the boy heard her, but it didn't really matter. He already knew that…and he _had_ known longer than she had.

"Will you tell me about it?" Her voice rose again and she smiled at her captain. "Nami-chan said something about going from island to island."

The rubberman had just shoved another half carton of freezing treat into his mouth, and it seemed his spoon had become lodged there; the teen choked for a second before swallowing and then looking down at his hands in dismay. "I swallowed my spoon!" He exclaimed in surprise.

Laughing gently the older pirate grew an arm on the kitchen counter and rummaged around in the drawer for a new one. Luffy took it with delight and thanked her with a bowed head, immediately diving back into his stolen ice cream.

"Uo anna," Swallow and then another large bite. "Know aout at?"

Robin nodded her head in response to his question.

He swallowed again and looked at her for a second before shrugging. "It sucked!" He said again. "Franky and Nami were all moping around trying to make the Sunny go faster, and Chopper didn't want to play any games; Sanji just sat around by himself a lot and Zoro was angry…!" He paused before seeming to remember something. "Usopp and Brook played with me though. So they don't suck."

She struggled not to laugh at the way he explained things but it was difficult. Luffy was just so childish! It was like speaking to a small boy; one who's attention was mostly on who or what was fun at the time and completely ignoring anything serious.

But then a quick flash of a frown was visible on the rubberman's face; he shrugged and went back to eating but it had surprised her.

"What's wrong?"

The black haired teen brought a carton of vanilla bean to his mouth and began shoveling it in quickly, his eyes darting to hers briefly before going back to what he was doing.

Intrigued at the shifty way he was acting the historian leaned one arm on the table and set her cheek against her palm. "Captain-san?" She smiled at him somewhat knowingly. "Won't you tell me what's bothering you?"

Luffy tilted his head back and swallowed the remains of ice cream; they were now left with several empty cartons on the tabletop but the skinny pirate sighed with contentment and ignored the mess he had just made.

Her patient waiting finally paid off; the young man turned slightly and gave her his attention again though it continued to shift around as if he was nervous. "Well…"

Robin kept her eyes fixed on him while he hesitated, smiling encouragingly, and finally the teen gave in. With a petulant sound he flopped his upper half against the wood and looked at the back wall moodily.

"I miss Zoroooo!" He whined. "He's really mad at me and won't talk to me and I don't _like_ it!"

One thin eyebrow rose slightly; that was a little surprising. As far as she knew Luffy and Zoro had never had more than a few quick, casual fights between them.

But looking at the pouting young man in front of her she had to smile. The first mate's opinion obviously meant a lot to their normally bouncy leader and the easy-going pirate didn't know how to deal with a long-term argument.

Gently she set her cup down and rested one hand against his outstretched arm. "What happened?" Her voice was soft as well as sympathetic.

Luffy responded well to it; even in his comical depression the rubberman perked up. As he explained the situation in a whiny tone she could see it cheered him to talk about it, and that cheered her in turn.

"He got real mad at me and now he just won't talk to me at all! Make him talk to me again, Robin!" He demanded.

She shook her head, still smiling. "I can't _make_ him do anything." Her smile widened when the young man made a grumbling sound and turned back to staring at the wall, his whole face pouting when he didn't get his way. "What did he get angry at you for? Maybe he's still angry because you didn't resolve the fight."

"Aahhhaaa…!" Even his sighing sounded like whining but he answered without her further prompting. "He was real mad at those guys who kidnapped you, and he wanted to kill 'em…but they told us everything they knew and tried to help us so there wasn't any _reason_ to kill 'em! But Zoro still wanted to and he got mad when I _didn't_ want him to and now he's not talking to me!"

The archeologist frowned slightly; he was fighting with Luffy because of her kidnapping? The idea seemed…she didn't know. It was too much to take in all at once, and she still had her captain to deal with so she let it drift off in her mind, hoping to remember at some later point.

"He's probably only a little angry." She said gently to the younger pirate. "I'm sure his anger will work itself out in time. You just need to be a little patient."

The look Luffy gave her made her laugh; patience had never been his strong suit after all.

Still smiling she shook her head at him. "This isn't something you can rush Luffy." Her tone was still sympathetic but firm. "Zoro needs time to cool down; trying to _force_ him when he's not ready will only make things worse."

The rubberman's pout was back and he sighed dejectedly. "I hate waiting." He groaned. "I miss him _now_!"

Robin patted his arm affectionately before standing to get herself another cup of coffee. It was while she was at the counter that noise outside announced the arrival of another person; a short time later Sanji stepped in and then stopped, probably to stare at the empty ice cream cartons littering the tabletop.

Suppressing a chuckle the dark haired woman turned to look back at them; yes, the blond stood in the galley doorway, his expression shocked as he took in the stolen provisions and his guilty captain.

Luffy was looking off to the side, whistling and pretending he hadn't done anything. Because he was looking away he didn't notice the cook's approach until it was too late.

"Luffy!" Angrily the older teen kicked his captain away from the table and into the wall; the rubberman rebound right back from it and the blond kicked him again, over and over until their bouncing leader had lost momentum.

Groaning pitifully the dark haired boy flopped onto his back on the floor. "Saaaanjiiiii!" He gave his companion a hurt look, which was ignored. "I didn't _do_ anything!"

The blond had paused to lit a cigarette, an angry twitch near his eye showing the strain it took to hold back from beating on the other man some more. "What the hell's all _that_ then?" He pointed one finger at the incriminating cartons. "Damn it, Luffy! I was going to make something special with that for Nami-san and Robin-chwan!"

"Um…" Luffy looked over at the evidence and then around the room quickly, looking for an escape. His eyes fell on her and they brightened. "Robin did it!" He said earnestly, pointing at the dark haired woman. "Robin ate all of it!"

Laughing quietly the archeologist returned to the table with her new steaming cup, watching affectionately as the blond stomped the other teen into the ground for lying to him and trying to pin the blame on her.

Eventually the cook turned away from him in disgust and moved forward to begin disposing of the sticky cartons. "Good morning, Robin-chwan." His tone was not nearly as cheerful as it usually was but she let it pass without comment; it was easy to cheer him up after all.

"Good morning Sanji-kun."

As she had predicted, using Nami's pet name for him had an immediate reaction. With a happy sound the young man swirled closer and began complimenting her, a love-struck look on his face.

"Robin-chwaaaaan~! You look absolutely beautiful today! What would you like for breakfast? Is there anything I can get you now?"

She smiled; he was so predictable.

* * *

Sanji worked on making breakfast cheerfully. Robin's presence was like a ray of sunshine and he worked happily, especially since she hadn't picked up a book but had chosen instead to chat idly with him.

The blond spared a glance at table, smiling for her, and glaring menacingly at his captain. As partial punishment Luffy had to scrub down the wood which had become sticky from the careless way he had left the empty ice cream cartons and they had melted.

The dark haired teen was pouting and every few minutes he would stop to give the older man a hopeful look and then go back to scrubbing dejectedly when the blond silently told him he wasn't done.

Happily he brought the radiant woman a bowl of oatmeal with a muffin and then nearly quivered with joy when she put a hand on his arm to stop him from moving away.

"I don't think I said this before but," Her eyes were soft and her smile genuine. "Thank you, for coming to rescue me."

Sanji swayed back and forth slightly, praising her for her thoughtfulness and assuring her it had been his pleasure.

Robin chuckled, long lashes brushing against her cheek before her head tilted back and she looked up at him again. "Do you have a moment?" She asked politely. "I…feel like talking."

It was a strain not to whoop for joy; moving as fast as possible the cook all but leapt to the stove to remove the food from its heat and then was back at her side, almost tripping over the assurances that he wasn't busy in the least.

Her soft laugh was worth every second he would have to spend feeding his gluttonous captain later; sighing in perfect happiness the blond sank onto the bench beside her and smiled charmingly.

"What would you like to talk about, Robin-chwan?"

The archeologist's slim fingers traced around the rim of her cup absently. "I…don't know. I just feel…" She paused and he had a flash of concern, worrying that she was slipping back into depression, before her face tilted back up and he was able to relax. She was still smiling, even if it was a little melancholy.

"I know it's not…something anyone wants to think about, me least of all…but I was thinking that maybe, if I talked to someone about that place where they kept me…I might be able to understand a little more what they did to me there."

Sanji's smile faded and then died. She was right, it wasn't something he wanted to think about at all; for some reason those endless white walls had really creeped him out…but she was also right in that talking about it with someone else might help her in dealing with her feelings about that place.

So while it was a subject he would rather avoid altogether…he was willing to talk about it, for her sake.

Taking in a deep breath he held it for a count of three and then let it back out, the smoke from his cigarette slipping higher to linger above his head.

"Whatever you'd like, Robin-chwan." He murmured quietly. "I'll tell you everything I can remember if you'd like."

It was difficult, and painful. The dark haired historian kept her eyes trained on her cooling food to hide her emotions; Sanji's continued to sweep the room in discomfort. Quietly he told her everything he knew between the time she had disappeared and the time they rescued her.

Perhaps it was from spite but he deliberately downplayed their grumpy swordsman's role, Robin didn't call him on it though so he didn't feel as if he was misleading her.

Slowly his beautiful nakama began recounting what little she could remember of that time and those who had held her. It was a struggle not to react to some of the things she had to say; especially when she raised one slim hand and showed him the faint but still visible scars on her wrists from the keroseki burn.

"I think Chopper is right…" She murmured as she finished her explanation. "The keroseki poisoning has been bad but it could have been much worst."

He watched silently as one lone finger traced the edge of those scars before reaching out, resting his hand against hers gently to stop her from touching it.

"Chopper is an excellent doctor." The blond agreed just as quietly. "I'm sure whatever ill effects are left from the keroseki will be over soon."

Her lips quirked slightly though she didn't raise her eyes and she didn't pull her hand back. "I wish I could heal faster…it's the only thing I can really do that might cheer him up."

Sanji exhaled slowly and then shook his head. "No Robin-chwan." He disagreed kindly. "You've been helping him more than you know. We wish _we_ could do something for you…" His voice trailed off and he heard her sigh deeply beside him.

"I…thank you. That's very sweet of you."

His beautiful nakama's voice told him she was rapidly sinking back into the hole of depression she had been fighting to escape for weeks. If he didn't act quickly the whole conversation would have been for nothing.

"Robin-chwan…we're not going to give up. We'll find something, some _way_, to help you…" His reassurance didn't seem to be getting through to her. "This experience," The blond shifted until he was closer, his mind only on helping her. "Has changed some things…but they're not all bad things, Robin-chwan. You have to look at the positive as well as the negative."

She sighed, with just a trace of a saddened laughter, and murmured, "What good has come from this? I'm slowing everyone down…"

He raised his second hand, trapping both of hers between both of his. "Chopper has become more self confident." She tried to shake her head but he moved on firmly. "Before this he would always run to you for help if he was confused, didn't he? But now he's learning to rely on his own strength, and it's because he wants to help _you_."

The archeologist didn't answer; he could only hope she was listening as he continued. "All of us, we're learning to work together in a way we never have before…I can't see that as a bad thing. Lastly, and maybe most importantly," Ducking his head slightly so he could see her face his tone became teasing. "Brook hasn't asked to see your panties in almost a month!"

As he had hoped, the light hearted bantering helped. Robin's eyes slid shut but a full smile was on her mouth and after a second a giggle escaped her. "That's true…that's most important though?"

Rather than meeting his gaze again the beautiful woman leaned forward, her head just barely resting against his shoulder. Inside he was absolutely ecstatic but he firmly kept a grip on himself to answer. "Of course! Anybody who disrespects you or Nami-san is the worst!"

Robin's shoulders had relaxed and he knew she was passed her depression, for now at least. Smiling at the inky black hair he tried gently teasing her once more. "Does this mean you've fallen in love with me?"

Her laughter was more beautiful than bells from heaven and the cook was treated to a gentle squeeze of his hand before she pulled back to smile at him, her tone also playful. "We'll see." She said mysteriously.

His pleasure at being able to help her, (not to mention that she hadn't directly said 'no' outright!) was nearly overwhelming; but as he opened his mouth to say something else Luffy's voice drowned him out.

"Oh! Zoro! How long have you been standing there? Did you come for breakfast?"

Their skinny leader continued his line of questioning to the first mate; the swordsman was all but ignoring him. Suppressing a surprised grimace Sanji turned his head. Yep, he had guessed it. The older pirate was looking specifically at _him_…_glaring_ at him would be more accurate.

'_That idiot Marimo…_' Sighing inconspicuously the cook released the historian's hands and stood, turning back towards the stove and ignoring his nakama's burning gaze. '_Shithead probably thinks…_'

Well…the blond couldn't actually fault him on it. If he felt the same and had walked in on another man holding her hand and asking her if she loved him he'd probably be pretty pissed too.

But that idiot would jump to his own conclusions…without a doubt the little temper tantrum their nakama had been having was probably going to double at least.

Lighting the pilot stove again the teen shifted until he was leaning back against the counter and could see the doorway.

Zoro was still standing there alright; his face had smoothed out to be a blank mask but one hand was holding his katana's hilt so hard his knuckles were whitening.

And then the swordsman turned around and walked away without saying a word.

Across the room Luffy suddenly dropped across the table he had been cleaning with a whine.

"See?" He moaned at the archeologist. "I didn't even _do_ anything!"

The beautiful woman grew an arm out of the table to pat their leader's back sympathetically. "Give him time." He didn't know what they were talking about but, judging by the soothing tone in her voice, he guessed it was something important.

The younger teen pouted, a flicker of real depression crossing his face, and Sanji took pity on him. "Alright." He said. "You're done washing the table. Go get the others up and you can come back for breakfast."

The gloom that had begun settling over the rubberman was gone instantly and the skinny pirate jumped up with a hopeful look. "Really?"

The blond flicked his hand towards the door dismissively. "Go get Nami-san first, and you'd better not wake her up badly!" The end of his sentence was said to air; Luffy had already bolted and he could hear the teen's cheerful shouts for everyone to wake up so he could eat.

Shaking his head slightly he turned his attention back to the food he was preparing. There wasn't anything he could do about that stupid moss-head; and he wasn't going to apologize for making Robin-chwan smile!

* * *

**AN:** Hee hee. Zoro's jealousy is fun to prod at. :P

So again, I apologize for how long it's been since I updated, and thanks again for all the encouraging comments and reviews. You guys are the best! I promise to buckle down and start writing seriously again, but since I'm not sure if...okay, honestly I haven't updated because I was afraid that I was cursed. A lot of bad things just kept happening immediately following an update. It's ridiculous, I know! But after a while I had so many bad things stacking up that I just didn't feel like I could handle any more! But because I promised, I'm willing to try again and see if maybe my bad luck has gone away. Here's hoping that it has, because there is _potential_ for a lot of bad things going on! D:

So if nothing too major happens after this update...then yeah, I'll feel free to keep posting. If something _does_ happen...I know I seem extremely superstitious but put yourself in my shoes. How would _you_ deal with it? It could be coincidence, but something new happened _every single time_! (And usually it's more then _one_ bad thing, more like five or six at a time!) I just don't know what else to do except stop updating and hope the crap going on will die down! So if something bad _does_ happen, I'll probably be putting this on hiatus again for a long time...maybe forever. I hope not; I love writing, and I love getting opinions and suggestions from you guys, but I'm tired of bad things happening to people I love. :(

So, wish me luck guys! (Please, please, _please_ let me have good luck!)


	19. Focal Point

**AN: **_New chapter! Woohoo!  
_I'm going to try to keep to a once a month schedule, (though, who knows how long _that_ will last? ! -_-) but it feels like forever since I last updated, even though I know it was only a month ago. xD But I hope this will tide you guys over for a while; this chapter has been a _long_ time in coming, so you'd better appreciate it! :P

* * *

She was tired today. Tired of walking and talking, tired of trying to smile when she wanted to lay her head down and not think, and tired of being _unable_ to think…

Slowly the archeologist made her way to the galley behind Nami; she could hear their voices, loud and boisterous…Even though she wanted them to be happy she could feel the first stirrings of what could turn into a migraine and she winced. She didn't want to go in there and see anyone…she just wanted to sit in her room for a little while; but they would worry and probably send someone out to look for her and she didn't want to deal with _that_ either.

Keeping her gaze down the dark haired woman entered after the younger pirate and moved around the table inconspicuously towards her seat.

They were laughing at something, (she didn't particularly care _what_,) and most of them had gathered near Franky to hear whatever the cyborg was saying.

Feeling drained the historian took her place at the table and turned dull, uninterested eyes in her nakama's direction.

Brook, Chopper and Luffy had gathered around the shipwright; she tuned out their voices as best she could and just watched them. Slowly she felt her dysfunctional brain begin shifting away and she sighed quietly. She was too tired to even _try_ focusing!

So her mind wandered aimlessly, coming up with strange facts or thoughts. She had become used to it; used to being unable to control where her thoughts would take her…

Unknowingly Robin gave a bitter laugh.

It hadn't been all that loud but the harsh sound had brought Nami's attention to her at least. The copper haired teen moved closer, concern on her features, and Robin knew it was too late…they would all start fussing over her now and she didn't know if she had the patience to deal with that today.

The navigator reached her side, her mouth opening to question while her dark brown eyes searched the older woman's face with worry.

Robin beat her too it; she didn't care _what_ it was, as long as she didn't have to answer those stupid questions of 'are you okay?' or 'what's wrong?'

"The Thousand Sunny was made of approximately 5,490 pieces of Adamic wood."

Where…had _that_ come from..?

She wasn't the only one to be surprised; in mid-sentence their resident cyborg had stopped and turned to look at her above the heads of the others. In the absence of his loud laughter the room seemed so quiet.

"How…" Franky's face reflected his confusion. "Did you know that..?"

That was another question she had come to detest! She didn't know! She just didn't know _anything_ anymore!

One hand reached up to rub at her temple unhappily. "I…"

She what..? There was nothing to say!

Sighing deeply the archeologist stood, her eyes pinned to the ground. "I…think I'll go lie down…"

Her steps seemed so loud as she left the table and headed back for the door; but of course they weren't going to just let her go! No! That would be too _easy_, wouldn't it?

"Hey wait a second, Robin!" The carpenter's voice was just as puzzled as his face had been. "How'd you know that? That the Sunny is made of approximately 5,490 pieces of wood? How'd you know that?"

At her sides her fists clenched and she strained to breathe calmly; ignoring him a second time she quickened her pace and was almost at the door before things unraveled all together.

"Uh…hey! Wait up Robin! I'll go with you!"

The younger woman was undoubtedly just trying to help, to be there as a support and make sure she was okay, but the historian couldn't accept that right now.

Swinging around angrily she looked at her nakama and the furious words escaped her before she could muster the energy to stop them.

"For God's sake! Can't I have five minutes to myself? !"

Nami stopped coming towards her, a look of hurt confusion flashing across her face.

Long fingernails bit into her palms but the rage just wouldn't be held in check. "I don't _know_ how I know about Sunny! And I don't care! Just let me be alone! I am so tired of you all following me around!"

Fighting back furious tears and not even understanding why the dark haired woman turned and fled from the galley, leaving a group of very shocked pirates behind her.

* * *

She slid down the railing until she was sitting on the ground, one hand wrapping around her legs which were curled in front of her, the other tangling in the dark strands above her forehead while her elbow rested against her knees.

Such chaos…such confusion…

Her eyes shut and her shoulders shook with the effort it took to suppress tears of agonized frustration. Keeping her lips pressed into a thin line forced her to breathe through her nose, but even that was shaky.

Words and ideas tumbled around in her head; the path of her thoughts dipping first one way and then the other. It was a miserable, _desperate_ wish that she could control them…Robin felt she could settle for the ability to _sort_ them, but even that was denied her.

There were three or four quiet moments spent this way, (huddled in on herself,) before steps on the stairs alerted her to another's presence.

A soft sigh escaped her; she should really apologize for the way she had stormed out of the galley…but the footsteps stopped just short of her and the person was silent.

A small, sad smile tinged her lips. It could only be Zoro.

Her eyes softened slightly though as she understood; the stoic swordsman was trying, in his own way, to help or comfort her…and though she still felt mostly lost the idea that he would step down from his usual, undemonstrative pose made her feel…happy.

The historian breathed deeply before tilting her head backwards, letting her hand drop from her hair, to look the first mate in the eye. He was uncomfortable, she could tell, but he stood his ground and met her gaze almost stubbornly.

…Out of everyone else…Zoro would get it. Without her knowledge or permission a slightly pleading look settled onto her face. Even if it didn't change a thing…she just needed to feel like she was connected again.

"I hate this." She said softly. It was simple but the sentence embodied a lot; the constant struggle to focus, the rapidly cycling emotions, and worst of all, (to her way of thinking)…the inability to keep anything inside anymore.

The green haired man continued to watch her for a moment before he surprised her by dropping to his haunches; they were now more or less level with each other.

Zoro kept eye contact as he nodded slowly. "I know."

The archeologist's smile grew and her eyes closed as she allowed her head to drop to his arm. She didn't need to physically say the words for him to understand how extremely grateful she was for that one simple acknowledgement. He understood; she had never realized before how important that was.

Luffy and the others had all accepted her the way that she was; but, for probably the first time in her life, someone else could understand exactly what she _felt_ and she was coming to comprehend how amazingly wonderful it was…To be understood as well as acknowledged.

The tears slipped past her lashes and a few dropped on the swordsman's arm. The muscles twitched but with a show of patient discipline he didn't move. He just let her cry on him, without saying anything.

Finally she forced herself to pull back and gave him a watery smile. It hadn't occurred to her until that moment but she found herself suddenly wanting to hug him; half stifling a giggle she held back. He had endured enough for her today.

Sniffling and wiping at her eyes the thought made her a little sad again. Yes, he had endured her little crying fit…when he really shouldn't have _had_ to.

Unaware of it the happy lift of her lips had failed her; her eyelashes seemed to drag as she blinked slowly. She was…so tired of having to fight with herself just to have some semblance of normalcy. So exhausted by it all, with no end in sight.

"Zoro…" She tried not to say it, not to force him to deal with more than he already had, but her body didn't obey her mind. Looking up a little so she could meet his eyes again the archeologist's face reflected the drain she felt. "_Help me_."

There was the slightest hint of flinching near his eyes and she saw him swallow. "I can't." He answered quietly, and for once his voice betrayed his feelings about it. "I don't know how."

Helpless, angry, guilty…had he been suffering in silence this whole time..?

It was a stupid question; of course he had. Zoro wasn't one to show his pain or distress where others could see him…just like her. But it still hurt to realize what she had been putting him through all this time.

Feeling her own guilt rising Robin was unable to meet his eyes and her forehead dropped to rest against his arm again as her sorrow seemed to sweep over her.

…But why was she feeling guilty..? Just as she would have chosen the younger pirate was choosing to deal with things in his own way, rather than worrying or upsetting others with something they couldn't change. She didn't want him to be feeling guilty or helpless…but that was what he felt and _she_ couldn't _change _it.

So why was she letting herself wallow in misery when it wasn't her fault?

The archeologist lifted her head again, wanting to show him that she understood…the guilt of causing him so much stress swept back over her.

And among the myriad of swirling emotions that one piece of information that had been eluding her finally clicked.

Eyes widening the dark haired woman looked at the swordsman, realizing for the first time what she had been missing all along.

As unexpected and unprecedented as it was…Zoro somehow kept her mind clear. A surge of relief swept through her; one hand reached up to hold the swordsman's forearm to keep herself focused. She needed to be absolutely sure.

"Zoro…" She said his name slowly, thoughtfully. "Have I ever had a...a fit near you..?"

The teen shifted on the balls of his feet, obviously uncomfortable, but he still answered her. "Not really. Back on Karatok Island when we first found you…" He trailed off as she began nodding. "But only when the others are around, is that correct?"

Bright blue eyes refocused on him, trying to determine if her theory was correct. The green haired man's eyes had narrowed and there was a slight furrow in his brow; still he watched her, though now it was because he _didn't_ understand what she was getting at.

A smile slipped back onto her face; if she was right he would understand soon.

He nodded and then spoke the answer out loud as well. "The only times you've…the only times have been when we're all together."

Even with one hand firmly holding onto him she felt a surge of excitement. So far so good…there was just one more test; but this would be the hard part.

Gingerly, almost reluctantly, the archeologist removed her hand from his skin one more time.

Immediately things became fuzzier…harder to grasp and even harder to hold on to. Why was she testing this theory? It made no sense.

But she was vaguely aware that it would make sense again if she completed the test and so she laid her hand on his arm again.

Excitement raced through her veins. It was true; for the first time in almost a month Robin realized she could think and speak clearly. The swordsman was her focal point. There was hope after all!

Her nakama's face reflected a trace of worry now too, but she smiled at him brightly. Even knowing she was going to have to somehow explain a phenomenon _she_ didn't even understand didn't deter the rush of joy.

"Zoro." The historian's voice was firmer this time; she used his arm to steady her as she shifted onto her knees so she could look him straight in the eye. "I need your help, please?"

He blinked in surprise. A second later he nodded slowly; even without knowing what she needed he was willing to help her. Robin resisted the urge to hug him again, even _with_ her mind in order.

"What do you want me to do?"

Robin pushed herself up and then tugged at his arm gently, urging him to do the same. "I am aware this is a strange request," She started, her tone slightly apologetic. This would probably make him more uncomfortable…allowing her to cry on him when there was no one else around was a far cry from staying in close proximity in the company of others. "But there is a reason. I would like to explain it to everyone at the same time."

Zoro nodded, (a tad impatiently she noted,) and said, "Okay sure, whatever. What do you want me to do then?"

Feeling a rush of fondness for the younger pirate Robin had to hide the wide smile that wanted to overtake the lower half of her face.

"I need you to hold my hand." She stated calmly.

* * *

Against his will a flush moved up his neck to infuse his cheeks with a reddish glow. "W-what..?" He stuttered uncertainly.

The historian nodded firmly and when she met his eyes again he could see she was being absolutely serious. She wanted him…to hold her hand..? "Please Zoro." She added in a softer tone. "I know it's strange, but it's something that I believe only you can do to help me…please?"

Well…_dammit_! How was he supposed to argue with _that_?

And on top of that she was…Robin was looking and speaking normally…as if she had somehow been renewed; the resolve on her face was another sign. For once the dark haired woman didn't seem to be getting lost or side-tracked, but had focused on something and with single-minded determination she would pursue it until she had it.

Almost everything he knew told him she was probably off on a crazy trip of some sort…but there was a part of him that wanted to believe she had really found a way to heal herself. He would do just about anything to help her with that…

So, swallowing hard, he nodded at her silently and moved his arm, letting the slim hand that had been resting there slid down until he could enclose his fingers around her own.

Robin nodded back and thanked him silently before moving towards the stairs, pulling him along with her by their joined hands.

…Damn it…he should have realized she meant she wanted him to hold her hand in front of the others. But it was too late to back out now, (and he doubted he would even if he _could_ have.) so he followed her lead.

There was noise in the galley, though not as boisterous as usual, and Zoro's ears picked out their voices individually. He repressed a grimace; everyone was there.

The archeologist stepped into the doorway and there was a sudden hush from inside. It didn't deter her from whatever goal she had in mind and in the next moment the swordsman had been guided in behind her.

Though they were mostly watching her a few sets of eyes laid on him too in surprise or confusion. It was Nami, (naturally,) who spied their linked hands and an almost maniacal gleam entered her eyes.

He stifled a groan of annoyance and continued to follow the beautiful woman until she was at the head of the table.

"I've discovered something important about my…" She paused and he saw her lip twitch in repressed amusement. "Condition that I believe you should all be made aware of."

She had their attention completely now; but most especially Chopper who had hopped up to stand on his seat and was staring at her with riveted concentration.

"I do not know why," Her voice was slower, contemplative about whatever she was thinking about, but unhesitant. "But I have come to the conclusion that contact with Zoro keeps me…focused."

There were sounds of shock from all around, and especially from him.

"Huh? !" It was his turn to use their joined hands and he tugged gently until she turned her head to look at him. "What the…?" Forcefully the first mate brought his voice back under control. "What do you mean by that?"

Their archeologist smiled slightly and did her best to answer.

"I have noticed before that when I am near you I…" She paused and a slight crease appeared between her eyes as she tried to find the right words. "Am clear-headed. I am…_normal_." He watched her, feeling like his throat had suddenly run dry. "I have no difficulty when I'm with you." She continued, her voice gentling. "I don't know why," She said again. "But you are a crux for me."

A strange shiver went down the swordsman's spine; so this was what she had meant when she said only he could help her…Robin continued to look straight at him, giving him time to think her words through, but still looking for a response of some kind.

He had no idea what kind of response he _should_ give. Luckily he didn't have to because Chopper began calling for her attention and she had to give it; turning back towards the table and waiting group she nodded. "I think that if there is any progress to be made I will need to be in a relatively clear state of mind, and I believe this could help me do it."

The others were having whispered conversations among themselves but he tuned them out, his eyes focused on the glossy dark hair of the confusing woman whose hand he was still holding.

"Robin, when you and I talk in the mornings you seem pretty normal." The reindeer was saying. "I…how are your reactions when you spend one on one time with the others?"

She shifted on her feet, unintentionally putting slight pressure on their joined hands, and he could see the small smile of approval on her lips. "I don't know, but I think you're right. It's a theory worth testing."

"Wait." Usopp interrupted. "What theory are we talking about? I don't get it."

The smallest pirate looked at the sniper. "We may not know why Zoro can keep her focused but if he _can_ then we need to know if its just him, or some kind of reaction she has to everyone, to a lesser degree. So we're going to test how she feels with each person separately."

Understanding dawned on the teen's face and he nodded eagerly. "Okay, I understand! Are you gonna test right _now_..?"

Chopper's head swung back in their direction questioningly.

Robin didn't react for a moment, her face carefully blank as she thought it out, before finally nodding slowly. "We may as well get started right away."

Nami stood, one hand in the air and a determined look on her face. "I'll go first!" She volunteered. "I want to know how she feels when we're alone."

A faintly uncomfortable look touched the archeologist's face. Undoubtedly the thought had crossed her mind that _some_ in their crew might feel offended if her mind didn't remain clear with them.

But the navigator was determined. She pulled her legs out from under the table, (brushing off Sanji's assisting hand,) and stood, ready to go.

Zoro knew it was necessary for him to drop her hand, (it wasn't like he could go _with_ her.) but he hesitated; he didn't _want_ to. And it was for more reasons then just because he found himself liking the feeling of her hand entwined with his.

As though his thoughts had caught her attention she looked back at him again, the sharp blue eyes clear. Her voice was very soft, soft enough that the others couldn't hear.

"…I just found my sanity and now I have to let it go…but thank you Zoro. You don't know what it means to me to even feel a _little_ normal."

She moved her arm and he reluctantly let her slip through his fingers; he may have had to let her go but he wasn't going to leave it at that.

"No." He responded just as quietly. "I know."

Her eyes widened slightly, he had surprised her. But then a smile crept across her face; lighting her features, it only made her more attractive…more so that it was Robin's real smile, not a fake one, and not the one Nami had admired. It was _her_ smile and his heart seemed to skip a step when he saw it.

"Yes…I know you do."

The younger woman had brushed past the others and was at Robin's other side, ready to take her away and begin their experiment.

As the two women began moving away he thought of how she must feel, abandoning her (possible) only source of sanity, and knew he couldn't let it go without saying something. He made his tone bored. "Well have fun, it's not like any of _us_ are going anywhere."

The navigator shot him a dirty look, thinking he was being an ass or something. The historian rewarded him with another smile, she understood what he really meant…_he_ would be here if she needed him.

* * *

**AN: **This chapter has been in the works for _ages_; and though I'm glad we're finally at the point that things start happening again I can't help but think it feels a little forced. I mean, this is an important step in the story so it's not like I could skip it, but I just don't feel like it transitioned well...or at least I don't feel like that right now. I've re-read it a ton of times in the past, (seriously, I've been working on this chapter since like, the _beginning_ of the story. xD) and I know I never had a problem with it before, but I'm just not liking it much at the moment. Hmm...well, you guys should let me know what you think, okay? :)

On another note, there's both good news and bad news. The _good_ news is that I have a number of chapters in a row actually finished! The _bad_ news is that those chapters won't be happening for a while still. xD I'm working on the next chapter, (next _few_ chapters actually,) but the going is sloooow! Sorry! But also for good news, their relationship is _finally_ going to start progressing! Yay! Every time people asked me for more ZoRo moments I would snicker and think "soon, my precious, sooon!" Or something like that; possibly not as Gollumish is that. :P

Anyway, hope you enjoy, and I'm still open to suggestions. And feedback of course, I'm _always_ open to feedback. :)


	20. Important Update

**Important update!**

I know you're all going to hate me for this, but there just isn't any other choice. After racking my brain over and over again I've come to the conclusion that I have to put 'Crazy' on hiatus, (again.) I absolutely promise I'm not abandoning it! There's still a lot I want to do with it but after re-reading it over and over again, (trying to get back in the mood to write it,) I realized that I'm unsatisfied with how it's gone up till now.

Basically what I'm getting at is that while I am going on hiatus for an undetermined amount of time, I think I'm going to try re-writing it altogether. I'm a little nervous about it because I've never tried re-writing an already posted story before; but I know that my writing style has improved since I first began it, so I can't just leave things how they are.

I really am sorry guys. I said it before, (this _first_ time I went on hiatus,) that I _hate_ it when a story I'm enjoying and am involved in gets discontinued. That's why I definitely promise that I will finish it, I'm just not sure when. In the meantime there are tons of other great stories out there to keep you occupied so I hope you guys just, you know, forget about this for the time being. That way, (when I come out with the new and improved finished piece,) it'll be like reading it for the first time! Yes, I know that doesn't make much sense; but I still hope for it. Ha ha ha!

_Thank you_ for everything up to this point and I hope you'll forgive me!

And one last thing to say: My dearest sweet hubby has been trying to get me to write a special chapter to be updated on April 1st that either kills the entire crew, or makes the entire thing a dream, (in "honor" of April fools)…after careful consideration I decided I didn't want to die so I chose _not to do that. But I want you to know that is was a close one! My sweetie is so cute when he begs, so it was a close one…xD_


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